McDade Trail Delaware Water Gap SP PA

[xc62701]

Has anyone ridden the McDade trail from Port Jervis area south? I'm wondering how the surface is and if it's a good option to avoid riding the road along the delaware before crossing back into NJ in Belvidere. I am doing a bikepacking trip soon and I'm looking at this as part of my route. Any thoughts or experience with this?

 

[DanBrodeen]

I've bike packed on it before. I'd recommend a gravel bike or mountain bike. The surface is gravel but I think for that distance a road tire would eventually succumb to a flat.

 

[xc62701]

Yes, I’ll be on a gravel bike with 40c low knobby tires. Sounds like it should work well.

 

[Kaleidopete]

I'd love to hear your experience! This was my poor attempt from the other end.

Ramblings from Moe Mountain

There was another MTBNJ rider on some of the same trails today! @JimN . Quite a surprise, we missed each other literally by minutes on the ridge! I showed two of my teammates those trails this morning, and if I didn't have to stop and add sealant to my tire, we definitely would have run into...

www.mtbnj.com

 

[Steve Vai]

It's fine on a gravel bike except one section South of Milford you'll have to hike. I usually pop out on the road just before and skip it.

 

[xc62701]

It's fine on a gravel bike except one section South of Milford you'll have to hike. I usually pop out on the road just before and skip it.

Got a GPS file handy?

 

[Steve Vai]

It's this spot. On the way out I walked along the water, on the way back I took the road.

 

[xc62701]

It's this spot. On the way out I walked along the water, on the way back I took the road.


View attachment 157661

Awesome! Thanks for the info. The rest is all bikepackable? Good news is this section will be done after dinner and probably after a beer so it will minimize the pain of whatever is encountered. I'll be heading south on the trail after leaving Port Jervis.

 

[mtn]

It's this spot. On the way out I walked along the water, on the way back I took the road.


View attachment 157661

That's portion is closed for falcon nesting anyway.

 

[Steve Vai]

Awesome! Thanks for the info. The rest is all bikepackable? Good news is this section will be done after dinner and probably after a beer so it will minimize the pain of whatever is encountered. I'll be heading south on the trail after leaving Port Jervis.

It's all super easy otherwise.

 

[mtn]

So here's my experience living about 5min away from the trail.

The north section from Milford Beach (206) to 739 is going to be on-off road. You can ride from the beach down to Raymondskill, but then you take 209 up to Zimmerman Rd (dirt road on right) which loops back to 209. *This avoids illegally riding on the portion where Eagles are known to nest.* Then ride 209 for another 300 feet and make a right onto dirt Zimmerman Farm Rd. This is closed off to vehicles and a nice ride that will loop you back onto 209, skipping yet another hike a bike section of the Mcdade trail. Then cross 209, hop over the guard rail and you are back on the rideable Mcdade. One of the nicer sections too. You'll eventually climb out near the road and you can either ride 209 to the traffic light or hike the bike up a few stupidly steep hills on the Mcdade. Whoever builds these trails in the park needs to reevaluate career choices.

South of 739 to Bushkill Falls Rd is pretty much all flat fields and where you will find a river campsite. I can give you that location if you want. There is a general store near 739 at Dingmans Campground for refreshments. There is a deli with some good food and picnic tables at the 209 and Bushkill Falls Rd intersection. That's the last food stop until Shawnee.

South of Bushkill Falls Rd to Shawnee is mostly up and down. There are a few fields mixed in, but also a couple super steep hills. The area around park headquarters going south is probably the nicest area of the whole trail. And when you finish the trail, keep riding to whatever the restaurant in Shawnee is called.

Also, the surface is rough gravel. Nothing like the cinder used on rail trails. I thought I was going to ride my gravel bike on it, but for longer distance, my back and sit bones won't allow it.

Also, it's a National Recreation Area.

 

[xc62701]

So here's my experience living about 5min away from the trail.

The north section from Milford Beach (206) to 739 is going to be on-off road. You can ride from the beach down to Raymondskill, but then you take 209 up to Zimmerman Rd (dirt road on right) which loops back to 209. *This avoids illegally riding on the portion where Eagles are known to nest.* Then ride 209 for another 300 feet and make a right onto dirt Zimmerman Farm Rd. This is closed off to vehicles and a nice ride that will loop you back onto 209, skipping yet another hike a bike section of the Mcdade trail. Then cross 209, hop over the guard rail and you are back on the rideable Mcdade. One of the nicer sections too. You'll eventually climb out near the road and you can either ride 209 to the traffic light or hike the bike up a few stupidly steep hills on the Mcdade. Whoever builds these trails in the park needs to reevaluate career choices.

South of 739 to Bushkill Falls Rd is pretty much all flat fields and where you will find a river campsite. I can give you that location if you want. There is a general store near 739 at Dingmans Campground for refreshments. There is a deli with some good food and picnic tables at the 209 and Bushkill Falls Rd intersection. That's the last food stop until Shawnee.

South of Bushkill Falls Rd to Shawnee is mostly up and down. There are a few fields mixed in, but also a couple super steep hills. The area around park headquarters going south is probably the nicest area of the whole trail. And when you finish the trail, keep riding to whatever the restaurant in Shawnee is called.

Also, the surface is rough gravel. Nothing like the cinder used on rail trails. I thought I was going to ride my gravel bike on it, but for longer distance, my back and sit bones won't allow it.

Great info! Thanks!

 

[xc62701]

So here's my experience living about 5min away from the trail.

The north section from Milford Beach (206) to 739 is going to be on-off road. You can ride from the beach down to Raymondskill, but then you take 209 up to Zimmerman Rd (dirt road on right) which loops back to 209. *This avoids illegally riding on the portion where Eagles are known to nest.* Then ride 209 for another 300 feet and make a right onto dirt Zimmerman Farm Rd. This is closed off to vehicles and a nice ride that will loop you back onto 209, skipping yet another hike a bike section of the Mcdade trail. Then cross 209, hop over the guard rail and you are back on the rideable Mcdade. One of the nicer sections too. You'll eventually climb out near the road and you can either ride 209 to the traffic light or hike the bike up a few stupidly steep hills on the Mcdade. Whoever builds these trails in the park needs to reevaluate career choices.

South of 739 to Bushkill Falls Rd is pretty much all flat fields and where you will find a river campsite. I can give you that location if you want. There is a general store near 739 at Dingmans Campground for refreshments. There is a deli with some good food and picnic tables at the 209 and Bushkill Falls Rd intersection. That's the last food stop until Shawnee.

South of Bushkill Falls Rd to Shawnee is mostly up and down. There are a few fields mixed in, but also a couple super steep hills. The area around park headquarters going south is probably the nicest area of the whole trail. And when you finish the trail, keep riding to whatever the restaurant in Shawnee is called.

Also, the surface is rough gravel. Nothing like the cinder used on rail trails. I thought I was going to ride my gravel bike on it, but for longer distance, my back and sit bones won't allow it.

Also, it's a National Recreation Area.

If need be is 209 bad to ride on in this area? Shoulders? Lots of traffic? This will be Friday evening 6-7pm ish.

 

[mtn]

If need be is 209 bad to ride on in this area? Shoulders? Lots of traffic? This will be Friday evening 6-7pm ish.

There is a 3' shoulder in most spots. It's just an issue of having to stay on the line because of their lack of sweeping puncture debris off the roadway. People are generally decent enough to move over in the lane for you and there won't be a ton of cars. But yeah, you'll 100% have to ride around that section. It's just up one hill.