A little bit of Something for Everyone.
PLAN YOUR TRIP
Come experience 70 miles of beautiful, safe and scenic roadway. The Upper Delaware Scenic Byway can be experienced by car, motorcycle or bike, so saddle up and enjoy the ride. This pristine stretch of roadway parallels the Delaware River, a registered National Wild and Scenic River System. The Byway weaves in and out of small towns and old villages which offer visitors opportunities to shop, eat and socialize.
There are variety of great vistas, historic sites and outdoor activities all of which are fairly easy to access. Take a look at some of the most visited locations in the area. Don't forget, it is always best to be over prepared, so start planning in advance of your trip.
The Scenic Byway can be experienced in either direction. If you aren't in a rush, make a weekend out of it, consider using some of the small towns to further explore the Byway. There are no shortage of unique B&B's and revitalized hotels in the area. Some of the more walkable villages with shops and restaurants are Port Jervis, Barryville, Narrowsburg and Callicoon, but there are also places worth discovering that are off-the-beaten path.
When driving, be sure to fill up your tank in advance of your trip, as there are limited opportunities for getting gas/fuel along the 70-mile stretch.
DRIVING
Fishing outfitters are always a good place to find out more about when and where to fish based on the time of year, here is a Brief Guide to help you plan your own trip, and check out our Directory for more information about the various outfitters that book trips in the area.
Whether it is shore fishing, fly fishing or fishing from a drift boat, there are a variety of river access points throughout the Byway. Be sure to do your research in advance of your trip, as parking and launching can be limited.
Although the Delaware River is fairly shallow, there are some very deep parts of the river, including; Long Eddy, Quicks Eddy, Handsome Eddy and Pond Eddy, as well as Big Eddy which is 113ft deep.
There isn't a bad time to fish the Delaware unless you hate the cold. April through June is ideal for Shad fishing, this is when American Shad arrive from the ocean and spawn in the Delaware. It is also an ideal time to fish for rainbow and brown trout where the East/West Branch meets the Delaware. The colder months, provide a good time to fish for Walleye with clouser minnows. While the Upper Delaware is well known for its excellent dry-fly fishing, in colder months, weighted streamers on a sink tip can be used.
FISHING
Like much of the northeast, this area was originally home to the Lenni-Lenape tribe of American Indians. The Munsee were a small clan of the Lenape that inhabited the Upper Delaware River Valley in semi-permanent villages. Many of these villages have since been lost and are mostly only visible by way of rock shelters.
As English settlers began to inhabit the region, they quickly started using the area for timber. Sawmills became commonplace, but the transport on the Delaware River was difficult due to the shallow nature of the river. Eventually, the Delaware and Hudson Canal was built to cheaply transport building materials, coal and produce to the entire region. The remnants of the historic D and H Canal can still be seen along the shores of the Delaware River, and small portions of the canal can be walked.
The “Erie” was the first long line railroad in the United States, which provided both passenger and freight service to the New York City, delivering coal, lumber, agricultural goods and bluestone. The Cochecton Erie Station which is the oldest railroad station remaining in New York State. The Tri-States Railway Preservation Society Museum is located inside a dedicated boxcar at the historic Erie Turntable in Port Jervis, New York
The Upper Delaware is also home to one of the oldest existing wire suspension bridge, the Roebling Aqueduct, designed by John A Roebling, who also engineered the Brooklyn Bridge.
The Minisink Battleground is a National Registered Historic Landmark honoring those who fought and died in the Battle of Minisink.
HISTORY
The incredibly clean water of the Upper Delaware make it an ideal habitat for many forms of wildlife, but specifically a great environment for birds. The Delaware is a corridor for food, nesting and migrating. The river is a well-known home to Bald Eagles, but there are hundreds of other species that call the Delaware home. There is no limitation to birding, and visitors can use any of the public parking lots and boat launches to look for birds. There are a few notable spots along the byway and adjacent area.
TUSTEN - TEN MILE RIVER - MOUNTAIN TRAIL (requires some hiking)
This location has become one of the most productive birding localities in the Upper Delaware River Valley! The expansive forests included within the 12,000-acre TMR Scout Camp make it favorable to a variety of temperate woodland songbirds.
BARRYVILLE EAGLE OBSERVATION (simple car pull-off)
There are two Eagle Observation pull-offs, Observation #1 is just North of the Barryville-Shahola Bridge and Observation #2 is just south of the Roebling Bridge.
SIDE TRIPS (options for car pull-off and hiking)
Eagles fly all along the river, but there are eagle viewing blinds at Mongaup Falls and Rio Reservoir in Forestburgh, NY. The Delaware Highlands Conservancy and National Park Service facilitate a volunteer Eagle Watch Group on weekends in January and February. The volunteers help count eagle populations at the Lackawaxen River Access, Ten Mile River Access, and Mongaup Falls Viewing Blind. These locations are just off of the Byway itself, and are more than worth the effort. Two notable locations are the Bashakill Wildlife Management Area and the Rio Reservoir. The Bashakill is a massive freshwater wetland and is home to over 200 species of birds. The Bashakill is very active during the spring with warbler migrations in the spring and in the fall with waterfowl migrations.
BIRDING
OUTDOORS
The Delaware River is part of the national wild and scenic rivers system and a unit of the National Park Service. The Upper Delaware and its tributaries offer a wide range of outdoor activities including rafting, kayaking, canoeing, and simply floating down the river. This portion of the river is a mostly casual river with Class I and Class II rapids. If you are looking for something a bit more adventurous, the Mongaup River develops Class II and Class III but relies on controlled releases of the Rio Reservoir.
There are plenty of non-water related activities as well. The Watershed Recreation Area (aka Elks-Brox) in Port Jervis is home to one of the best cross-country mountain bike trails between Virginia and Vermont. The Watershed is constantly adding new acreage and new trails to its already impressive 50+ miles of trail. These trails can also be used for hiking and snowshoeing. One of the easiest hikes is a 1-mile out and back (2 miles total) along the Mongaup River. The Bouchoux Trail can be a bit challenging for beginner hikers, but it is worth the trek as you are rewarded with a beautiful view of the Delaware River from Jensen's Ledges. The Tusten Mountain Trail at Ten Mile River is also a good hike with quite a bit of elevation, so be prepared to loosen up those lungs!
Riverside Park in Port Jervis is also home to a beautiful 9-hole disc golf course, which offers three different tee pads, making it a fun option for players of all skill levels. Kittatinny operates a dual zip Zipline at their Barryville location.
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