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| Hiking the McDade Trail - Turn Farm to Bushkill Access |
After a bad winter that resulted in the
closing of many of the hiking trails in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, I have finally gotten off my butt and back on the trail. Today I chose to continue along the
McDade Trail so I can get a little closer to hiking its entire length. This time around I'll be tackling the section between Turn Farm and
Bushkill Access.
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| Turn Farm Trailhead |
The Turn Farm spur trailhead is located just off of the historic River Road in Bushkill, PA at N41° 03.461' W75° 01.395'. This plot of land once had many functions including John Turn's subsistence farm and ministerium camp. Most of the original barns and structures that once sat on this property have long since been lost to fire and disrepair but there is still one small shed and a stone foundation remaining. The NPS have added a small restroom, bench and bike rail.
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| John Turn Farm |
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| John Turn Farm Trailhead |
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| Headed toward the McDade Trail |
Since Turn Farm is actually a spur trail, you have about a 1/4 mile hike down hill toward the river to get to the actual McDade Trail. Since I would be hiking north toward Bushkill Access, I made a left at the intersection at N41° 03.366' W75° 01.146'. At this point you get your first views of the Delaware River, with a great spot 0.3 miles up the trail at N41° 03.555' W75° 01.066' with one of the best views of the river you'll see all day. You'll also pass the first of quite a few steel bridges built by the National Park Service that help you cross the park's many streams and creeks.
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| Steep Hill |
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| First River View |
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| First River View |
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| First Bridge Ahead |
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| First Bridge |
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| Stream |
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| Best View of the Day |
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| Small Bridge |
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| Another Bridge |
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| Back on the McDade Trail |
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| Bench Along the Delaware River |
After passing four bridges and a log bench, you'll come to the first of two intersections. Just after making a right at the first intersection you'll see a fork in the trail. The flat gravel covered trail is designed for those using the McDade Trail for biking while the one that goes up hill to the left is for us hikers. I believe the biking roadway is Freeman Tract Road which was the original route of River Road. Can anyone confirm this?
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| Stone Pillars |
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| Stone Pillar |
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| Freeman Tract Road? |
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| Hikers to the Left, Bikers to the Right |
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| Up the McDade Hiking Trail |
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| View of the Biking Trail and Delaware River |
The hiking trail wanders through the woods for about 1/3 of a mile until you cross the biking trail once again near N41° 04.126' W75° 00.819'. Along the way you'll pass the Owens Trailhead at N41° 04.030' W75° 00.813'. Afterwards, you'll get to the second intersection and fork in the trail. Again, hikers not looking for a flat trail should head to the left and up the hill. From here the trail switchbacks up the ridge until you near the Park Headquarters.
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| Owens Trailhead |
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| Owens Trailhead Sign |
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| Another Fork in the McDade Trail |
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| Trail 666...spooky |
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| Bench |
Just before passing the Park Headquarters you'll get to travel on a 300 foot long bridge the NPS built to make it easier to cross the swamp. I believe this is the longest of these bridges on the entire McDade Trail.
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| 300ft Bridge Over the Swamp |
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| Swamp |
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| Old Stone Walls |
For the next mile the McDade Trail hugs Community Drive where you'll pass a few cool old historic structures including a large red barn and a couple of houses. One of the homes didn't appear to be lived in while the other was questionable. Anyone have information on these structures?
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| Old House on the McDade Trail |
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| Barn on the McDade Trail |
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| Old Barn |
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| Can you see the signs that gutter trash came through here? | c |
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| Old Barn on the Hiking Trail |
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| Another Log Bench |
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| Another View of the Swamp |
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| More Old Structures |
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| Long Road Ahead |
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| More Gravel Paths |
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| Bridge and Barns |
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| Bambi? |
As you near Route 209 you'll pass behind a beat up all automotive repair garage and then near Bushkill Creek. Although you'll need to walk with the traffic along 209 to cross the creek, there is a great place to take in the views at N41° 05.490' W75° 00.169'. When the NPS opened this trail over fifteen years ago they planned to build a smaller bridge for hikers and bikers at this location. It's uncertain if this is still in the works. For the time being, carefully walk along the road.
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| Old Automotive Repair Shop Eye Sore |
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| Trail to the Bushkill Creek |
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| Bushkill Creek |
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| Hiking Along Route 209 Over Bushkill Creek |
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| Another View of Bushkill Creek |
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| Onward Toward Bushkill Access |
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| Bushkill Access Trailhead |
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| View of the Delaware River |
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| View of the Delaware River at Bushkill Access |
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| River Wetlands Sign at Bushkill Access |
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| Sign at Bushkill Access |
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| Hitting the Road Sign at Bushkill Access |
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| Fishing the River Sign at Bushkill Access |
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| Another Bridge on the McDade Trail |
After finally getting to Bushkill Access and enjoying the views for a while, I headed back down the trail to my car. Along the way I took the opportunity to visit The Roost Deli. Remember that bridge over Bushkill Creek? The Roost sits right across the street. A juicy homemade cheese burger, fries and a soda for $8 is hard to beat after a great day of hiking. My total mileage today is 11.2 miles. Thanks for following along!
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| Burger and Fries at The Roost Deli |
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| The Roost Deli |
If you'd like to follow my steps through the this hiking trail,
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.
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| McDade Trail Elevation Graph |
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