National Park Service reopens sites closed for winter

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area has announced that sites that were closed for the winter officially re-opened on April 14, though some were opened earlier due to favorable conditions.

Expanded amenity fees

Fees are charged at Smithfield Beach, Bushkill Boat Launch, Dingmans Boat Launch, Milford Beach, and Turtle Beach. Most revenue generated from fees collected in the park is used to fund projects and services that have a direct visitor benefit including facility and trail maintenance, restrooms, boat and canoe launches, and picnic areas. Fees go into effect April 17 and will be collected until mid-October.

Daily fees are $10 per vehicle (for up to seven occupants) and $2 for additional passengers, pedestrians, and cyclists. Where fee attendants are not on duty, visitors should deposit the daily fee in a self-registration envelope provided at the entrance to the fee areas, put it in the designated secured drop box, and place the receipt on the vehicle’s dashboard.

Annual passes are $45 per vehicle with discounts for multiple purchases from the same household. Log onto https://www.nps.gov/dewa/planyourvisit/fees.htm for additional information and requirements.

Facility openings

The following areas will officially re-open for the 2023 season on April 14:

· All river access points.

· Access roads to Dingmans Falls (open daily during daylight hours).

· Old Mine Road from the Worthington State Forest boundary to Millbrook Village and the dirt section of Old Mine Road near Van Campen Inn.

· Mountain Road in Walpack, NJ will be open to vehicles between the Walpack Cemetery and the Haneys Mill Bridge. The road is closed to vehicles beyond the bridge and from the south end at Haneys Mill due to the closure of the state-owned section of the road for repairs.

· Crater Lake, including Skyline Drive and the upper section of Blue Mountain Lakes Road, will re-open to vehicles daily until late-May when it will be closed to vehicles Friday evenings through Monday afternoons until mid-October. The road will remain closed to vehicles on federal holidays that fall on Mondays.

These area closures go into effect on May 1 and remain through September 30 annually:

· The Adams Creek Trail and parking areas (including the drainage, from the Sproul Road and Long Meadow Road Parking Areas downstream to US Route 209).

· The White Pines McDade Trail parking area.

· Raymondskill Creek drainage (from the base of the lower falls, including the pool area, downstream to the confluence of the Delaware River - but not including the McDade Recreational Trail or the Raymondskill Falls Trail).

River Camping Fees and Reservations

Reservations are required for use of the primitive river campsites and group campsites along the Middle Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River. The fee is $16.

Make a reservation or pay fees at Recreation.gov. Payment of fees and making reservations cannot be done in person.

For more information on Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area including site openings and closures and passes call the information desk at 570-426-2452, visit the website (www.nps.gov/dewa), or follow on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/DelWaterGapNPS.