Park shuttle ready to roll starting Memorial Day weekend

Looking for a fun day paddling on the river but don’t have a second car to leave downstream? Want to do a long one-way bike trip on the McDade Trail? Well, at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, there’s a shuttle for that, and it’s free.

The National Park Service, in partnership with Monroe County Transit Authority (MCTA), offers a free shuttle service to help reduce congestion in busy areas and help visitors and their gear get around. The shuttle operates within the park on Saturdays between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend. (NOTE: The shuttle will not be operating on Sundays this year.)

As the name suggests, the River Runner shuttle provides access to park’s four Pennsylvania river access points: Smithfield Beach, Bushkill Access, Dingmans Access, and Milford Beach. This shuttle can carry up to 10 kayaks or canoes, and four bicycles.

The River Runner route begins at the Park-and-Ride lot in the borough of Delaware Water Gap at 8:10 a.m., with northbound shuttles running every contiguous hour until 1:15 p.m. The southbound route begins at Milford Beach at 10 a.m., with shuttles running every contiguous hour until 3:05 p.m. Visitors can flag the River Runner at several additional “flag stop” locations along the way, including some parking areas for the McDade Trail.

“This service is popular with solo paddlers or groups looking to take a trip using personally owned canoes and kayaks. By using the shuttle, visitors don’t need to worry about leaving a vehicle at both start and end accesses,” said Zach Piotrowski, outdoor recreation planner for the park. “Visitors load their vessel on the trailer, hop on the northbound shuttle, and then paddle back to their car, enjoying more time on the water.”

MCTA also provides a connector bus that stops in Swiftwater, Stroudsburg, and the Martz Bus Station in Delaware Water Gap before stopping at the Park-and-Ride where visitors can take the park shuttle. The River Runner is funded by the National Park Service, Monroe County Transit Authority, and a grant from Pocono Mountain Visitor Bureau.

For additional information and shuttle schedules and routes, visit the MCTA website: 501 National Park Shuttles (gomcta.com). For more information on Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, call the information desk at (570) 426-2452 or visit nps.gov/dewa.