For detailed hike directions, maps, photos and GPS coordinates, visit our updated Mt. Tammany page. The Mt. Minsi detail page is here.
Just an excellent day all around, perfect hiking weather – upper 50s and sunny. So nice after all the rain the day before and getting rained out both days the prior weekend. Slightly disappointed at the foliage – just missed peak color – but it was still spectacular.
Double Your Summits, Double Your Fun.
These hikes are normally done one or the other, not both. Somewhere along the way I saw someone post that they do both in one day every spring to gear up for hiking season, and thought “what a great idea”…
Mt Tammany – on the Jersey side of the Gap:
Route: From the rear of the parking lot, on the right side as you enter, look for the RED DOT sign. Follow the RED DOT trail up to the summit of Mt. Tammany. The trail is marked with a red dot painted on a white background. The trail is steep and very rocky in sections. About .5 miles up there is a very nice view where you can see both the summit (on your left), Rt 80 and the Delaware River going through “The Gap” and Mt Minsi on your right. This is a good spot to watch hawks.
At the summit there are broad views of the entire Gap area, Rt 80 and Mt Minsi. You can scramble down the rocks or stay at the top. This is also a good area to watch hawks. Read more…
Delaware Water Gap – PA Side – AT South out and back – 16.6 miles, 7.5 hours. Perfect weather for hiking – 70, sunny but a nice breeze.
Trailhead: Route 206 N to 80W. Cross the bridge (Toll: 75c) Take 1st exit on right, 310 to 611S. R at light at end of ramp, Left at next light in Village, Turn R onto Mountain Rd (Inn on right corner). Bear next left up to trailhead.
*No bathrooms.Use the porta at Dunnfield parking on Rt 80 or the visitor center on the PA side. On the way back to Jersey, the visitor center has portas/bathrooms.
Followed the AT (WHITE) up the gravel road, then left in closer to ridge. Steady climb with outlooks along the way. Path was rocky as usual in the Gap area. Rocks worn rather smooth either from use or water runoff. Two main viewpoints with very nice overlook of the Gap. Road noise from Rt. 80 below. This is a popular trail, especially in the fall.
At the summit of Mt. Minsi, the AT turns S away from the Gap and views. Follows a woods road with a couple paths to the left to viewpoints/snack spots. The AT finally bears left off the road, and the service road continues straight. The AT here is slightly less rocky, and feels secluded. A red tower is passed. Shortly later the AT crosses the road again at Totts Gap. “Lunch Rocks” is a nice place to sit and check out the view.Right before route 191, there is a trail kiosk. On either side of 191 is parking. The trail gets a little less used here, and the kiosk mentions hunting is allowed. Brewers Lane is crossed. Not much further the trail scrambles up a rock tumble. This was at 8.3 so we made it our turnaround.
*The first couple miles up along the Gap is the most scenic. After Mt Minsi, the trail is nice but there aren’t as many views or any water features. Good to do a long distance hike, mostly level along the ridge with some elevation changes along the way.
11.5 Miles. Mt Tammany RED dot to summit, fire road on ridge to Turquoise to Sunfish Fire Road, return on GREEN Dunnfield Creek.
Did the summit in 35 minutes, getting in some workouts in prep for our trip out to Yosemite. Summit at 11am and there were only a couple other people there on a lovely summer day. The fire road was more overgrown and grassy than expected. We decided to try to take the fire road to the reservoir but it got more and more overgrown and too much fresh bear scat for our tastes. So we backtracked and took Turquoise – which was way overgrown as well – and dropped down the valley a bit then up to the fire road. Had our snack then went back via GREEN Dunnfield Creek then back to the lot.
Random Oddness:
-A group of people were gathered, singing, by the stream after we came down the hill from sunfish. Wasn’t sure what language it was.
-Group of five young guys were thrashing off trail and flagged us down because they couldn’t locate the green markers. The trail gets hard to see and crosses the river. They followed us out. They had wanted the summit but ended up at sunfish and were heading back on green. The last time we went we were coming back down the AT and a woman asked us about the summit – they really need to make the RED dot trail more clear because people start hiking to the pond thinking they are going to summit.
13.3 miles – new record!!! From the usual Dunnfield parking lot, took the green to sunfish, then turquoise around north end of the pond, picked up the AT. Took that for aways then headed back to the pond, kept on the AT back to the lot.
