Cliff Park South



Cliff Park South, Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania (5/22/2010)

Last week we did the northern section of this park in the Delaware Water Gap area of Pennsylvania. And we were wowed by that hike. Amazingly, this one was even better! Today we saw two waterfalls, including the tallest in Pennsylvania and apparently only four feet shorter than Niagra. We walked around the lake that we merely visited last week, and enjoyed more breathtaking views from the ridge of the mountain, this time covering the southern half of the Cliff Trail.

Following this map, we parked in the small Raymondskill Falls lot and headed down to that falls before backtracking to the car, crossing over Raymondskill Road and then taking the Hackers Trail to Hackers Falls. Continuing on that trail we made a right on the Buchanan Trail and then a left on the Pond Loop trail and looped around the pond. Back to the Buchanan trail we made a left and climbed to the Cliff Trail where we passed amazing views from spur trails and visited the two viewpoints on the map. We wanted to take the Cliff Trail back to the car but turned accidently onto the Logger Path which ended at the Hackers Trail, which we then took back to the car. But before that, we followed a narrow trail along the ridge (not on the map) all the way to the northern tip, with wonderful views the entire way, before backtracking to where we got on the Loggers Trail.

Total distance hiked today was 5.4 miles in about 3 hours.

(Click on the thumbnail to bring up a bigger image in a pop-up window)


Trail head to Raymondskill Falls


Raymondskill Falls


A lesser side fall

Path to the top

Love those warning signs!

A more tranquil top

 

View at the top

Raymondskill Falls from near the top

Cave

Colorful insect
 


Wildflowers on Hackers Falls trail

Ferns

On Hackers Falls trail

Juniper
 


Hackers Falls


Wide view of Hackers Falls

Wildflowers at the falls
 


More wildflowers


[photo by Laura]

Dragonfly
 


Shed on Buchanan Trail

Wildflowers on Buchanan Trail

Lots of ferns

Pond
 


Pond from southern bank


Pond from southern bank

Chipmunk
 


Abandonded farm implement?

Pond from western end


Pump house
 


From inside pump house

Pond from northern bank

Golf course next door

 


We passed this last week

Pebble in the shoe

Uphill to the Cliff trail

View from spur off the Cliff trial
 


An amazing spot, view south

VIew north


Route 209 below
 


Farmland below

Cedars

PA farms

Awesome cliff
 


[Photo by Laura]

Beautiful cedars

Cliff trail

Another amazing view
 


View north



[Photo by Laura]
 


View north

Delaware River below

River looking north

Our lunch spot!
 


McDade Recreational trail below

Eagle or hawk

Route 206 bridge

 


Dandelions and Route 209 below

View north

The winding Delaware River

View east
 


Caterpillars

Kayakers in the river

Closer view

On the Logger Path
 

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