 |
| Hiking the McDade Trail - Conashaugh to Milford Beach |
After a very warm Summer, which I choose not to hike in, the weather has started to cool down and I've finally gotten back out on the local hiking trails. This time I'm continuing my effort to complete the entire
McDade Trail in Milford, PA by hiking between the Conashaugh Trailhead and the Milford Beach Trailhead. For those who have been following along, I began hiking this trail earlier this year. I started at the Conashaugh trailhead and headed south on two separate outings because the two northern most sections of the trail are closed between December and July. Now that this part of the trail is open I figured it would be best to jump on it while I can.
 |
| Early Morning on the McDade Trail |
This segment of the McDade hiking trail starts off at the Conashaugh
trailhead parking lot at N41° 15.805' W74° 50.876' located off of Route
209 in Milford, Pennsylvania. On this foggy Thursday morning in late August, just before Labor Day weekend, I decided to get an early start as to avoid the tourists who would undoubtedly be frequenting Milford Beach and the hiking trail that leads to it. I got to the trail at the break of dawn and started heading north into the dark woods. The photos below don't do it justice as to how dark it really was. Thankfully I didn't bump into Bigfoot. 😅
 |
| Down the first set of stairs |
 |
| McDade Recreational Trail |
 |
| The first bench |
The trail heads north-east for about 1/2 mile, up and down a couple of flights of stairs made of logs, rocks and gravel, and past a tunnel before you get your first good look at the Delaware River. At this point you'll see the first of six hand made log benches. These are great spots to grab a bite to eat or to enjoy the views.
 |
| Rock stairs |
 |
| McDade Recreational Trail |
 |
| Delaware River along PA hiking trail |
 |
| More stairs |
 |
| Yet another log bench |
 |
| Bridge #1 |
 |
| Hiking trail bridge |
After hiking along the trail for 1.5 miles you will see the first of two bridges that the Park Service has built so hikers don't have to traverse the streams flowing under them. On this day the stream below the bridge was nearly dry. The trail follows near the river for half mile before turning back up toward Route 209 again.
 |
| Gravel hiking trail |
 |
| Long road ahead |
Once you near Rt. 209, you'll see the Wyoming-Minisink Path historical marker sign. It reads
"Here, an important Indian trail connecting the Delaware and Susquehanna Rivers ascended Indian Point to Powwow Hill. The path was used by Delaware Indians in their
migration to the Wyoming Valley, and later by Connecticut settlers." Just after the sign you'll come across the second bridge which runs directly alongside Rt. 209. A peek over the side of the bridge gives you a great view of the well flowing Raymondskill Creek.
 |
| Headed toward 209 |
 |
| Wyoming-Minisink Path Historical Sign |
 |
| Bridge over Raymondskill Creek |
 |
| Raymondskill Creek |
 |
| Raymondskill Creek |
Just after the bridge, the trail brings you away from the road to a long gravel covered path. From here you get an excellent view of the cliffs on the other side of 209. There are multiple hiking trails including the
Cliff Trail and the
Milford Knob Trail at the top of these cliffs. I'll be visiting the Cliff hiking trail in the coming weeks on this very blog. Stay tuned!
 |
| Headed away from the road |
 |
| Hiking trail in Milford PA |
 |
| McDade Recreational Trail |
 |
| Foggy morning |
 |
| Flowers |
 |
| More fog |
 |
| Gravel hiking trail |
 |
| Pittman Orchard Trailhead Sign |
Near the halfway point of your hike you'll near the Pittman Orchard Trailhead at N41° 17.475' W74° 49.852'. If you'd like to cut this hike in half you can park here rather than at the Conashaugh trailhead. Like the Conashaugh trailhead, this one has a small parking lot with a map of the entire trail. Also like the Conashaugh trailhead, there are no restrooms or other amenities available here.
 |
| McDade Recreational Trail |
 |
| Awesome view! |
 |
| Fog and flowers |
 |
| McDade Recreational Trail |
 |
| First sign of the corn fields |
 |
| Cornfield |
 |
| McDade hiking trail pictures |
 |
| McDade trail pictures |
 |
| McDade trail panorama |
 |
| Another bench along the trail |
Just as you come through a clearing at N41° 18.471' W74° 48.065' you'll get your first glimpse of the Milford-Montague Toll Bridge. The two-lane bridge, which opened on December 30, 1953, has a total length of 1,150 feet, and is operated by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. Tolls are collected only from motorists traveling westbound, into Pennsylvania. The McDade hiking trail crosses directly under the bridge and onward to Milford Beach.
 |
| Milford Montague Bridge |
 |
| Milford Montague Bridge |
 |
| Milford-Montague Toll Bridge |
 |
| Beat up sign |
Please Stay on the Trail. You might wonder why they'd even need to put a sign like this up. I guess when people are dumb enough to destroy a sign for no good reason, you also have to assume that those same dumbbells might wonder onto a toll bridge as well. I'm not sure what goes through a person's mind when they choose to deface a sign but it would be nice if we could keep these idiots off our beautiful trails. I'd be willing to bet these are the same people who throw their trash everywhere.
 |
| Last steps to Milford Beach |
 |
| Milford Beach Sign |
Not long after crossing under the Milford-Montague Bridge you will finally reach Milford Beach. In 1945, Robert Blood, whose family owned the land here for years, opened a facility called Bob's Beach. It featured a snack bar, picnic pavilions and even a boat rental. By the 80's the National Park Service took over the property and built all new facilities except for a house that still sits on the property. Now named Milford Beach, it features three large picnic pavilions, boat and kayak launches, restrooms and a grassy beach. This is a fee area. The Park Service charges $10 per car or $1 per pedestrian.
 |
| Milford Beach |
 |
| Milford Beach with bridge in background |
 |
| Cliffs |
After eating a very early lunch at Milford Beach, I started my trek back to the Conashaugh trailhead. Around this time the fog had finally lifted and the sun came out just in time to get some great photos of the corn fields and cliffs along this gorgeous trail. This mostly gravel covered trail is tough on the knees and feet but the views are breathtaking and well worth it. Overall this trip was just under 12 miles in length.
 |
| Another view of the cliffs |
 |
| The long beautiful walk back home |
 |
| Somewhere up there is a hiking trail |
 |
| McDade Hiking Trail Views |
 |
| One last shot of the Delaware River |
If you'd like to follow my steps through the McDade Hiking Trail from Conashaugh to Milford Beach,
check out the map of my trip and download the GPX file below. It
contains the route I took as well as some important waypoints.
 |
| McDade Trail - Conashaugh to Milford Beach Elevation Graph |
Excellent pictures! I just started hiking a few weeks ago. Would you say this trail is good for a beginner? Or are there any other trails in the area of Milford that you'd recommend?
ReplyDeleteYea, this trail is totally fine for beginners and even children. I'd suggest the Milford Knob trail too.
Delete