Delaware Water Gap
On our way back from vacation, we stopped in Matamoras, PA, and stayed in The Cleanest Hampton Inn Ever. (Seriously. It was extremely clean, and I've paid more for much worse rooms many a time. Hampton Inns needs to give these folks some awards.)
We chose that location so that we could go to Dingman's Falls, in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. I'd heard for years how pretty the Delaware Water Gap is, and we wanted a place that we could let a 2 year old run around -- we'd forgotten our carry pack, so we couldn't do more challenging trails. Dingman's Falls supposedly had a flat boardwalk to the falls, and was not far off our main route, so it was the winner!
In case any of you pass that way and need a travel break, I'm going to do a pretty complete review...
Facilities
There's a visitor center, which has some educational displays and whatnot, and I really liked it. There was a little streambed tank, with worms and minnows and so on in it, which my kid loved. There are animal pelts displayed inside, and I know some people don't like that, so be aware.
Outdoors, there is a set of pit toilets, with individual rooms with locking doors. They are clean and well-maintained, with hand sanitizer dispensers in each room. The rooms are large enough to change clothes in, if you need to do so.
There is a drinking fountain between the visitor center and the toilets, and on the side, low down, is a spigot. I don't know what it's FOR, exactly, but I hate hand sanitizer, and hand sanitizer is no good at removing mud from toddlers, so it came in pretty handy.
Accessibility
"Flat boardwalk" is not precisely correct. It has one longish uphill, and part of the trail is hardpacked gravel. That said, the lower part of the trail is most likely accessible to people in wheelchairs. We saw one woman with a cane managing it, and it's definitely fine for strollers. If you are using a manual wheelchair and are wheeling yourself rather than being pushed, you will probably want to wear gloves, even if you don't normally -- the area is quite damp and even though the trail is elevated and scrupulously maintained, your hands will probably get gunked up if you skip gloves.
The top of the falls can only be reached through an extremely steep and narrow staircase:
This is the very first part of the staircase. It gets worse later on.
It is very beautiful up there but I would not suggest that anyone without full use of at least 3 limbs, 2 of them legs, and a fully-operational cardiovascular system try it. Also, don't take any children under 5 up there unless you are capable of carrying them a good portion of the way and you have enough adults/older kids with you to run interference with the railings -- it is perfectly possible for a small child to climb between the railings and fall over the edge.
The visitor center and toilets seemed to me to be fully wheelchair accessible, and the toilets had enough room for someone to be in there with you to help you if you need it.
Working/assistance dogs are permitted (but no other dogs).
Scenery
[click photos to embiggen]
Near the beginning of the trail, there is a bridge over the river.
Silver Thread Falls, the first of the waterfalls you reach on the trail.
Our toddler mounts an expedition to the big falls.
Dingman's Falls, the large set of falls.
Overall: A+ would visit again.
We chose that location so that we could go to Dingman's Falls, in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. I'd heard for years how pretty the Delaware Water Gap is, and we wanted a place that we could let a 2 year old run around -- we'd forgotten our carry pack, so we couldn't do more challenging trails. Dingman's Falls supposedly had a flat boardwalk to the falls, and was not far off our main route, so it was the winner!
In case any of you pass that way and need a travel break, I'm going to do a pretty complete review...
Facilities
There's a visitor center, which has some educational displays and whatnot, and I really liked it. There was a little streambed tank, with worms and minnows and so on in it, which my kid loved. There are animal pelts displayed inside, and I know some people don't like that, so be aware.
Outdoors, there is a set of pit toilets, with individual rooms with locking doors. They are clean and well-maintained, with hand sanitizer dispensers in each room. The rooms are large enough to change clothes in, if you need to do so.
There is a drinking fountain between the visitor center and the toilets, and on the side, low down, is a spigot. I don't know what it's FOR, exactly, but I hate hand sanitizer, and hand sanitizer is no good at removing mud from toddlers, so it came in pretty handy.
Accessibility
"Flat boardwalk" is not precisely correct. It has one longish uphill, and part of the trail is hardpacked gravel. That said, the lower part of the trail is most likely accessible to people in wheelchairs. We saw one woman with a cane managing it, and it's definitely fine for strollers. If you are using a manual wheelchair and are wheeling yourself rather than being pushed, you will probably want to wear gloves, even if you don't normally -- the area is quite damp and even though the trail is elevated and scrupulously maintained, your hands will probably get gunked up if you skip gloves.
The top of the falls can only be reached through an extremely steep and narrow staircase:
This is the very first part of the staircase. It gets worse later on.
It is very beautiful up there but I would not suggest that anyone without full use of at least 3 limbs, 2 of them legs, and a fully-operational cardiovascular system try it. Also, don't take any children under 5 up there unless you are capable of carrying them a good portion of the way and you have enough adults/older kids with you to run interference with the railings -- it is perfectly possible for a small child to climb between the railings and fall over the edge.
The visitor center and toilets seemed to me to be fully wheelchair accessible, and the toilets had enough room for someone to be in there with you to help you if you need it.
Working/assistance dogs are permitted (but no other dogs).
Scenery
[click photos to embiggen]
Near the beginning of the trail, there is a bridge over the river.
Silver Thread Falls, the first of the waterfalls you reach on the trail.
Our toddler mounts an expedition to the big falls.
Dingman's Falls, the large set of falls.
Overall: A+ would visit again.