Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River ⓘ

People have lived in the Upper Delaware River Valley for at least 10,000 years. Long before European settlement the Lenape Indians and their ancestors lived off the area's abundant plant and animal life.

Paleo-Indian Period (10,000 - 12,000 years ago) Archeologists have evidence that the Lenape Indians were preceded by a primitive people called Paleo-Indians. They were the first people to come onto the North American continent. It is believed these ancestors crossed a narrow stretch of land connecting Alaska and Russia.

The climate was very different than it is today. Winters were much colder and longer. Instead of hardwood forests, the land was covered with tundra grass, marshlands and scattered spruce and fir forests.

Small bands of highly mobile men, women and children hunted game animals, fished in rivers and lakes, and gathered foods.

The Paleo-Indian's best known artifact is the fluted point such as the Clovis point. Artifacts from this period are very rare but have been located in the Upper Delaware River Valley.

Archaic Period (4,000 - 10,000 years ago) During the Archaic period, the climate began to resemble that of today. The Indians were still mobile, like their Paleo ancestors, but they did not travel as far. Some stayed and adjusted to the ever changing conditions, and used a greater variety of natural resources. Wild plants, acorns and other nuts were abundant, as were animals such as fish, shellfish, deer, elk, raccoon and turkey.

The spear was the main weapon used by the Archaic hunter. It could be thrown by hand or used with an atlatl. Atlatls (spear throwers) enabled the hunter to throw spears much harder and faster.

Archaic Indians lived in caves, rock shelters and wooded longhouses. There is no evidence that they gardened. They depended on what nature provided.

Artifacts from the Archaic period found in the Delaware River Valley include grooved axe heads, bannerstones, net-sinkers (small stones that were sewn into fishing nets) and several types of projectile points.

Woodland Period (450 - 4,000 years ago) Hunting, fishing, trapping and gathering wild foods continued to occupy men and women in the early and middle Woodland period.

The bow and arrow, possibly introduced early in the Woodland period, enabled hunters to kill more effectively and from a greater distance. Deer, elk, bear, turkey and waterfowl were hunted. Smaller game animals such as squirrels and rabbits were trapped or snared.

Dug-out canoes were the principal means of travel. Later, garden farming led to a more settled lifestyle.

Farmers stayed close to their lands and did not wander as freely. As a result, sturdier homes were built, using saplings and bark. Families increased in size and lived longer. Gardens produced corn, beans and squash, which were eaten fresh or dried for storage.

During the Late Woodland period, pottery vessels were made for cooking and storage. Clay, the main ingredient, could be readily found in the riverbank.

Along the Delaware, Indians relied on fish as an important food source. Large numbers of shad and other fish were caught in huge fishnets that were 300 to 400 feet long. Other fish were caught with fishhooks made of bone or dried bird claws. Larger fish may have been speared or harpooned.

Many artifacts from the Woodland period have been found in the Upper Delaware Valley including large quantities of net sinkers.

Historic Period (AD 1550 - present) This time period marks the arrival of European explorers, fur traders and settlers.

Journals from early Europeans stated their amazement as such a large wilderness area occupied by relatively few people.

The coming of colonists resulted in drastic changes in Indian lifestyle. Colonists traded items such as brass kettles, iron axe heads and cloth for animal pelts.

Soon, contact with Europeans proved so devastating to the Indians that their numbers rapidly dwindled. Many were killed by diseases, such as measles and smallpox, for which the Indians had no immunity.

Conflicts arose over land. Indians believed land was for the use and enjoyment by all people and animals. Colonists favored private ownership.

In time, the Lenape and the neighboring Iroquois became enemies. The Iroquois Confederacy became the stronger of the two groups.

Eventually the Lenape relocated further inland. By the mid-1700s, most had left the Delaware Valley. Increasing numbers of Indians moved westward to escape the Europeans and to continue their ancient ways.

Today, Lenape descendants are scattered throughout North America. The last full-blooded Lenape, Nora Thompson Dean or Touching Leaves, died in 1984 in Oklahoma.

Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River includes portions of the historic Delaware and Hudson (D&H) Canal. Constructed from 1825 to 1829—with 16 miles of gravity railway and 108 locks over a 108-mile canal—it was built to transport anthracite coal from mines in northeastern Pennsylvania to markets on the Hudson River.

Throughout the 19th century, the D&H Canal together with the Pennsylvania Coal Company gravity railroad, expanded, struggled, and transformed to become part of a 171-mile transportation system. In the latter part of the 1800s, railroads grew while canals declined. Transportation by canal was limited by winter weather conditions, droughts, and floods. Railroads were better able to reach new markets. By the turn of the 20th century in the Upper Delaware River Valley, the Erie Railroad was thriving and the D&H Canal was abandoned in 1898.

Today, little survives of the D&H Canal and its associated industries. However, remnants of the canal may be seen along its former route. Where these features are preserved and protected, you may glimpse into the life of a by-gone era.

Canals have been built for thousands of years for irrigation, drainage, and later, transportation. Goods could be moved more efficiently on water than on horseback or in wagons. Where no suitable water existed for navigation, early engineers designed canals.

The Industrial Revolution required an even more efficient system to transport raw materials to factories and markets. Early European settlers recognized the need for canals in the United States, even before it became an independent nation in 1776.

The young country could not afford to build canals until the early 1800s, and then most were financed by the states. The Delaware and Hudson Canal was a private enterprise and would become the first valued at a million-dollars.

The D&H Canal and Gravity Railroad was a system of transportation between northeastern Pennsylvania coal fields—owned by Philadelphia businessmen William and Maurice Wurts —and ports of New York and New England. From its opening in 1828 to its demise in 1898, the canal system transported millions of tons of anthracite coal.

The Delaware & Hudson Canal Company relied on engineering experience and technology from other canals—the Erie (NY), Morris (NJ), PA state canals—and financial backing from wealthy investors and stockholders, including Philip Hone.

The successful D&H was among the few privately-owned canals of that era. Construction of the canal lasted from 1825 to 1828, and employed thousands of laborers. The work—done by hand with pick, shovel and blasting powder—was difficult and often dangerous.

The D&H Canal Company planned to transport their coal from the mines in Carbondale, Pennsylvania, to the Hudson River entirely by canal. However, the availability of water at the summit and the number of locks needed to scale the Moosic Mountains between Carbondale and Honesdale precluded this plan.

A "gravity railroad" was the solution, and construction began in 1827. The "gravity," designed by D&H Chief Engineer John B. Jervis, utilized a series of inclined planes and steam engines to pull carloads of coal up and over the Moosic Mountains, a rise of almost 1,000 feet. In his effort to use the latest transportation technology in England, Jervis's young assistant engineer Horatio Allen brought to Honesdale America's first steam locomotive, the Stourbridge Lion.

Completion of the "gravity" in 1829 enabled the canal to transport a great percent of its tonnage in coal. While built primarily for coal, cargo also included wood, stone, brick, Rosendale cement, and provisions.

Navigation on the canal began at the boat basin in Honesdale, where the coal was transferred from gravity railroad cars to canal boats. The canal's route followed the banks of the Lackawaxen River until it met the Delaware River.

Boats crossed the Delaware at Lackawaxen, where the canal then paralleled the New York shore of the Delaware to Port Jervis. There the canal turned eastward, following the Neversink and Rondout Creeks to the Hudson River, where the coal was unloaded at Rondout (near Kingston, New York) and sent by steamship to market.

The D&H Canal was originally 32 feet across at the top, 20 feet at the bottom, with a depth of four feet; its 76' x 10' locks could accommodate 20 to 30-ton capacity boats.

In its early years, the D&H Canal was buffeted by a wide variety of troubles: seepage and settling of the banks, a regional cholera epidemic, opposition by Delaware River raftsmen, fluctuations in the national economy, and resistance to the use of anthracite. The Stourbridge Lion, the first steam locomotive used in America, was too heavy for the gravity railroad. In addition, the D&H competed with other canals (Delaware & Raritan, Morris) for the same markets in New York City.

Stock prices fluctuated during the early years, but by 1848 the D&H Canal was likely the nation's largest private corporation. The Pennsylvania Coal Company, which brought coal by gravity railroad to Hawley, Pennsylvania, encouraged the enlargement of the D & H Canal.

In the late 1840s and 1850s, the canal's trunk was deepened to 5, then 6, feet. Its locks were enlarged to 90' x 15', increasing its capacity from 200,000 tons to one million tons of coal annually. Forty- ton capacity boats were gradually replaced by boats of up to 140 tons, which could go directly from the canal to markets up and down the Hudson.

During this period of expansion, John A. Roebling was brought in to work on four suspension aqueducts, one of the distinguishing features of the D&H Canal. While the Lackawaxen Aqueduct no longer exists, the Delaware Aqueduct, now known as the Roebling Bridge, still stands within Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River. Remnants of the Neversink Aqueduct are preserved within the Neversink Valley Area Museum properties in Cuddebackville, NY. Remains of the High Falls Aqueduct are near the D&H Canal Historical Society and Museum in High Falls, NY.

Life on a canal boat was a "family business." Wives and children worked 15 to 20-hour days alongside boatmen, eking out a meager existence with "the company."

The D&H Canal affected life throughout the region. Irish and German immigrants who built and enlarged the canal increased the cultural diversity, bringing new customs to an area populated mainly by Dutch and English settlers and a few remaining Native Americans.

New towns and industries (boat builders, glass works, foundries) sprang up along the canal. Previous industries—lumber mills, paper mills, tanneries, stone quarries—prospered with improved transportation. Others, like the Rosendale natural cement industry, took advantage of the proximity of the D&H Canal.

Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River's museum collection exists to preserve and interpret the natural, cultural, and recreational features that collectively contribute to the significance of the Upper Delaware River Valley. The collection policies are governed by recommendations contained in The Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River Management Plan (November 1986), The Delaware River Basin National Wild and Scenic Values Document (September 2012), the Park Foundation Document (February 2014), the Park Management Goals (2015), and the Park Scope of Collections Statement (2016). The museum collections for the park include both cultural and natural history objects and archives. The collection is inherently valuable for the information it provides about processes, events, and interactions among cultures, individuals, and the environment. Placing objects and specimens within a broader context, through research, analysis, and documentary records, provides for greatest benefit and enjoyment by the public. Natural and cultural materials provide baseline data, serving as scientific and historical documentation of the park’s resources, and of the purpose for which Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River was established. Cultural collections, objects, and archival materials document important events or people in the park’s history, technological processes, or artistic endeavors.

Acquisitions for the park museum collections started in 1981 with the purchase of books related to the history of the river valley. The focus on collecting books continued until the late 1980s, when the collection size grew tremendously with the purchase of the Zane Grey House and its contents in 1989. The Zane Grey Collection (accession UPDE-00022) consists of historic objects and records associated with the Grey Family and the operations of the house as an inn and later a museum by Helen James Davis and Al Davis between 1948 and 1989. The Zane Grey Collection is still the largest accession in the collections today. The museum collection continued to grow slowly through the early 1990s with more books being added to the collection. Beginning in the mid-1990s, the collection started to diversify with additions coming from field collections of historic objects found or obtained while working on park maintenance and archeology projects. It was also during this time that the park’s oral history project began sending recordings to the museum collection for preservation. In the early 2000s, the collection continued growing slowly with accessions that began to include park records along with more books, historic objects, archeology, and some artwork.

Natural History specimens began getting accessioned into the collection in the mid-2000s. These include specimens collected for research purposes. Funding came through to upgrade the exhibits in the Zane Grey Museum in the late 2000s; with this came the purchase of objects, such as baskets, rugs, and furniture to furnish the study in the Zane Grey Museum. Acquisitions after this primarily represent park records transferred to the archives. The archival collection consists mainly of park planning documents and resource management records. There are also personal records and manuscripts created or received by Zane Grey and his family or related to the management of the Zane Grey House as an inn and museum. To make an appointment to research the collections, contact the Cultural Resources Program Manager at 570-685-4871 x 3. To make the most of your time, we encourage you to complete preliminary research using published materials prior to your visit. Please review our Access policies linked here. Access to materials is dependent upon the physical condition and level of processing by park staff.

Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River is the home of the oldest existing wire suspension bridge in the United States - the Delaware Aqueduct, or Roebling Bridge as it is now known. Begun in 1847 as one of four suspension aqueducts on the Delaware and Hudson Canal , it was designed by and built under the supervision of John A. Roebling , future engineer of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Portions of the D & H Canal, including the Delaware Aqueduct, were designated a National Historic Landmark in 1968. The Delaware Aqueduct is also designated a National Civil Engineering Landmark.

The Delaware and Hudson (D & H) Canal and Gravity Railroad was a system of transportation between coal fields of northeastern Pennsylvania and markets on the Hudson River. It operated from 1828 until 1898, with enlargements after the 1840s. The Delaware Aqueduct was one of four suspension aqueducts designed by John Roebling for the D & H Canal.

Two important local industries with conflicting needs brought about construction of Roebling's Delaware and Lackawaxen Aqueducts: canal traffic and timber rafting.

Since the mid-1700s, timber from the valley had been floated down the Delaware to shipyards and industries in Trenton and Philadelphia. The D & H Canal's rope ferry crossing of the Delaware at Lackawaxen had been a major bottleneck in the early- to mid-1800s. In addition, there were numerous collisions with timber rafts headed down the Delaware. To alleviate both problems, the D & H Canal Company approved, in 1847, John Roebling's plan to "build the canal above the river."

Compared to conventional bridges, Roebling's suspension design allowed more room for ice floes and river traffic. An immediate success, the $41,750 Delaware Aqueduct and the $18,650 Lackawaxen Aqueduct (no longer standing) reduced canal travel time by one full day, saving thousands of dollars annually.

The aqueduct operated for fifty years until the closing of the canal in 1898. It was then converted to a private toll bridge and underwent a series of modifications through the years. About 1900, new owner Charles Spruks built a tollhouse abutting the New York side of the structure.

Eventually, the towpaths were sawn off and the wooden trunk walls were dismantled. The protective icebreakers were not maintained and were destroyed by the river over time.

The Delaware Aqueduct continued to function as a vehicular bridge until 1979. In 1980, the National Park Service purchased the aqueduct to be preserved as part of Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River.

Almost all of the Delaware Aqueduct's existing ironwork — cables, saddles, and suspenders — are the same materials installed when the structure was built.

The two suspension cables are made of wrought iron strands, spun on site under the direction of John Roebling in 1847.

Each 8 1/2-inch diameter suspension cable carries 2,150 wires bunched into seven strands. Laboratory tests in 1983 concluded that the cable was still "viable;" some of the wires even exceeded Roebling's original specifications.

The cable strands are held in place by wrapping wire, which was replaced in 1985, after almost 140 years of use. Roebling's cast iron "pier saddles" still sit astride the cables as they cross original stone piers.

"Cable saddles" each hold a wrought-iron "suspender rod," a bar with both ends hanging vertically from the saddle. Suspenders support part of the aqueduct/bridge flooring by means of a hanger plate.

The wooden superstructure, made of white pine, was replaced about every 25 years by the D & H Canal Company. The last surviving canal-era timbers were removed in the 1930s. In 1986, this superstructure was reconstructed using Roebling's original plans, drawings, notes, and specifications.

Today, you may walk across the former aqueduct, following the path taken by canalers and their mules over a century ago. Where canal boats once slowly floated, modern vehicles now cross the Delaware River effortlessly.

Pearl Zane Gray was born on January 31, 1872, in Zanesville, Ohio, a town founded by his mother's ancestors. (The spelling of the Gray family name was changed to "Grey" sometime during the late 1890s.) As a youth in Ohio, he developed interests in fishing, baseball, and writing. All three pursuits would later bring him acclaim. Grey's baseball prowess led to a scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania's Dental Department. He graduated in 1896 with a degree in dentistry, but chose to play amateur baseball for several seasons, practicing dentistry intermittently. He established his own dental practice in New York City in 1898. While residing in New York, he continued to play baseball. He loved to get away from the city, and began visiting Lackawaxen, Pennsylvania. There he fished and enjoyed the outdoors as in his youth.

Zane Grey often escaped to Lackawaxen with his brothers. On one of these outings in 1900, Zane ("Doc") met 17-year-old Lina Elise Roth, or "Dolly" as he called her, while canoeing near the Delaware House, a grand boarding house on the river. Dolly was a positive influence in Grey's struggle to become a successful writer. Her encouragement and belief in his abilities led him to continue writing despite rejection by publishers. Grey's first published article was "A Day on the Delaware," in Recreation magazine, May 1902. In 1903, Grey wrote, illustrated and published his first novel, Betty Zane, with money from his sister-in-law Reba Grey.

In 1905, Dolly became Zane's wife. He left dentistry to pursue writing full-time and the couple settled into a farmhouse overlooking the junction of the Lackawaxen and Delaware rivers. In 1906, they took a honeymoon trip to the Grand Canyon in Arizona, and to California - Grey's first trip west. In 1907, Grey met Western conservationist Charles Jesse "Buffalo" Jones at a meeting of the Campfire Club in New York City. Using the last of his wife's inheritance, Grey accompanied Jones, as a writer and photographer, on a hunting expedition to the Grand Canyon. This trip marked a turning point in Grey's career as it opened up new vistas in subject matter for his writing. He wrote an account of this adventure, The Last of the Plainsmen, published by Outing Press in 1908. In 1910, Harper & Brothers published The Heritage of the Desert, Zane Grey's first western novel and his first real success. Next came Grey's most noted work, Riders of the Purple Sage, published in 1912. By 1915, Grey had 15 books in print (frontier/baseball/juvenile adventure/western) along with many fishing and outdoor adventure articles and serialized stories.

Zane and Dolly's three children (Romer, Betty, Loren) were born in New York during the Lackawaxen era. In 1912, the family moved into the house built next door for Zane's brother, R.C. In 1914, Zane and Dolly purchased the house. They enlarged it in 1915 and 1916. Zane's study was decorated with a frieze of Hopi kachina doll designs painted by his brother Ellsworth Grey and and his office decorated with a frieze of Navajo sandpaintings painted by Dolly's cousin, Lillian Wilhelm. Grey continued his travels to the Southwest. He fished in the Pacific off Catalina Island, in the Florida Keys, Mexico, and Nova Scotia. He moved his family to California in 1918. The family retained the house in Lackawaxen, visiting when they were on the East Coast. (Zane Grey's last visit was in 1929.)

Being in California allowed Grey to work closely with the developing motion picture industry, which had begun producing films based on his novels. For a few years, he had his own production company, Zane Grey Productions, which he sold to Famous Players-Lasky (later Paramount). His new home also provided better access to the Western locations he utilized in his writing. The Greys established a permanent residence in Altadena, California, with a home on Catalina Island and cabins on the Mogollon Rim in Arizona and the Rogue River in Oregon. Grey later had fishing camps in New Zealand, Australia and Tahiti. He reached many sites via his yachts, Fisherman (1924) and Fisherman II (1931).

Zane Grey's influence and success continued through the height of the Great Depression. He was a prolific writer, publishing one or more western novels every year and a fishing or outdoor adventure book every few years until he died. He left behind more than twenty manuscripts which were released after his death. Grey's success and wealth enabled him to travel the world in pursuit of his favorite sport - fishing. A pioneer in angling, Grey held over ten world records for large game fish. He was the first person to catch a fish over 1,000 pounds on rod and reel (1,040- pound blue marlin in 1930, Tahiti). His last recognized world-record catch, for a 618-pound silver marlin, was not surpassed until 1953. Zane Grey died October 23, 1939, at the age of 67. When Dolly died in 1957, the ashes of both were interred in a cemetery near their home in Lackawaxen, fulfilling their wish to rest together beside the Delaware River.

In 1945, six years after Zane Grey's death, his wife Dolly sold their Lackawaxen house to Helen James, daughter of Zane's long-time friend Alvah James. In 1948, Helen opened the Zane Grey Inn, which she operated for twenty- five years. Over the years, she collected memorabilia associated with Grey and discovered original artwork and other items of interest in her new home. From 1973 until 1989, Helen and her husband, artist Albert H. Davis, operated the Zane Grey Museum to display the Grey memorabilia, photographs, and books in the rooms that served as Grey's office and study. The museum was sold in 1989 to the National Park Service. It was included in the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River because of Zane Grey's association with the Delaware River and its effect upon the budding writer. Today the museum is self guided with National Park Service rangers and volunteers available to answer questions and provide for sale a variety of Zane Grey books currently in print. Here, you can glimpse into the diverse life and character of one of the early twentieth century's most popular and widely-read western writers.

Quarterly newsletters from the Zane Grey's West Society feature current research and articles of interest for Zane Grey fans, collectors and scholars. Their extensive web site provides complete book lists and biographical articles. 15 Deer Oaks Drive, Pleasanton, CA 94588 925-699-0698

The Ohio Historical Society sponsors the Zane Grey Museum near Grey's hometown of Zanesville, Ohio.

Northern Arizone University has the largest collection of Zane Grey books and periodicals, as well as personal correspondence and the Grey family Bible, in the G. M. Farley Collection, is available to the public for research and review through special arrangement. Northern Arizona University Special Collections Department Cline Library PO Box 6022, Flagstaff, AZ 86011-6022 928-523-5551 special.collections@nau.edu

The Rim Country Museum houses memorabilia and is located near the site of Grey's cabin in Arizona. 700 South Green Valley Parkway, P.O. Box 2579, Payson, AZ 85547 928-474-3483

The settlement history of the Upper Delaware is long and varied, marked by changing climate and economic conditions. Native American populations may have lived along the banks of the Upper Delaware as early as 15,000 B.C., although it is likely that continued habitation may not have occurred until 6,000 B.C. or later. The Woodland Indian culture, dating from 1,000 B.C., was the first to practice agriculture. They gave way to the Munsee Indian culture, the group first encountered by Dutch traders as early as about 1614 A.D.

Swedish settlers were reported to have made their way as far north as Cochecton by 1630, but more substantial settlements did not spring up until the 1730s. That group of people known as Connecticut Yankees and a few Dutch settlers were the main arrivals to the area during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. They were followed by the Irish, who helped build the Delaware & Hudson Canal and Erie Railroad, and by the Germans, who came to farm the land. The typical new arrival during the 20th century has been the urban resident looking for green space and a quieter place to call home.

Economically, the area has ridden the waves of transportation development and the extraction of natural resources. The construction of the Newburgh-Cochecton Turnpike around 1800 was the first of the main roads to traverse the area. It was followed by the Delaware & Hudson Canal , completed in 1828. The Erie Railroad began operations through the Upper Delaware Valley in 1851, and the final major transportation route, New York Highway 97, was completed in 1940.

Timber rafting began in the 1760s, developing into a focal point of the local economy after the Revolution. During the peak years in the mid-19th century, over 50 million board feet of pine and hemlock were shipped down river annually. It was not until the early 20th century, when easily marketable forests had been logged, that the industry declined and died. From the 1850s until the 1880s, tanneries were major industries in the valley, but they ceased to operate after the hemlock groves they used to obtain tannin were largely cut over. Quarrying operations took the place of the tanneries, and rock such as bluestone was shipped in large quantities to places such as New York City and Jersey City for streets and curbs. The industry has changed, but it is still viable.

Within its riverine, riparian, and terrestrial habitats, the Upper Delaware Region is an important area for hundreds of bird species. The river itself is noted for its free-flowing nature and exceptional water quality. A diverse array of birds rely on the high water quality and habitats for the food and nesting areas they need. These attributes also allow the river to support abundant fish populations, an important food source for many birds who inhabit the river valley. Extensive mixed hardwood and hemlock forests can be found along the river and offer even more high quality habitat.

In 1998, Pennsylvania Audubon Society designated the Upper Delaware River as an Important Bird Area . An Important Bird Area distinction is only given to areas that supply critical habitats for breeding, wintering, or migrating birds. Birds migrating throughout the Atlantic Flyway rely on the food and habitat provided by the Upper Delaware River to refuel during their long journey. The Atlantic Flyway is a north-south migration route spanning more than 3,000 miles. The Upper Delaware Region also provides year-round habitat to resident bird species.

The Upper Delaware River hosts one of the largest populations of wintering Bald Eagles in the northeast. Each winter, over 100 Bald Eagles migrate to the Upper Delaware Region from their northern breeding areas. Wintering Bald Eagles are typically in the river valley from mid-December through mid-March. Resident Bald Eagles can be seen in the area year-round.

In addition to Bald Eagles and other birds of prey, visitors may see many smaller birds like American Robins and Blue Jays in the wooded riverside habitat or flying across the river. On the river, visitors can find Mallards dabbling or Great Blue Herons wading. Belted Kingfishers can be seen nesting in burrows along the riverbanks. These are only a few of the many species found in and around the Upper Delaware Region. When birdwatching in the river valley, visitors can use eBird to report sightings and discover birding hotspots.

The rural character of the Upper Delaware Valley landscape supports a wide variety of plant and animal species.

Its biological diversity coupled with the low levels of pollution (air, water, noise, etc.) contribute to the high quality of life and scenic value of the Upper Delaware Valley, all within 150 miles of over 35,000,000 people

The Upper Delaware valley is noted for its northern hardwood forests which have supported a thriving lumber industry, producing thousands of cubic feet of veneer logs, sawlogs, millwood, and pulpwood each year. These forests are also the resource base for a lucrative and growing recreation industry, the habitat for a variety of game animals and other wildlife, and a protective cover for this watershed which serves many local towns and impacts the quality of water miles downstream.

The Upper Delaware River corridor contains diverse habitats that support abundant wildlife populations. In addition to the dense forest cover (from 50% to 75% of the corridor), farming practices have introduced new pioneer plant species and have provided pasture grasses and crops that enhance the wildlife food supply. Of the fifty species of mammals observed in the corridor, the white-tailed deer is a principal wildlife resource. The valley provides habitat for the river otter, once abundant throughout Pennsylvania. About 70% of the state's remaining otter population is now thought to reside in the basin. Wildlife biologists believe that Pike County, PA, has one of the highest black bear populations in the state. Other animals of note in the corridor include bobcats, coyotes, and wild turkey.

As part of the Atlantic Flyway, the corridor hosts large numbers of waterfowl and waterbirds in the wooded riverside habitats. Approximately 200 species of birds have been identified within the corridor, including the bald eagle, which winters and nests in the Delaware watershed. According to wildlife biologists, the highest concentration of eagle wintering areas in New York is found in this watershed.

Anguilla rostrata – Native Family: Anguillidae The American Eel is an important keystone species in the Upper Delaware River. American Eels are catadromous, meaning they migrate down river to spawn in the ocean. They hatch in the Sargasso Sea within the Northern Atlantic Ocean but then travel to freshwater streams where they mature and spend most of their lives. After years or even decades, they eventually return to the Sargasso Sea to spawn. American Eels are generally carnivorous and feed on insects, fish, fish eggs, crabs, worms, clams, and frogs.The Eastern Elliptio mussel ( Elliptio complanata ), which is important for keeping the waters of the Upper Delaware clean through its water filtering capacity, uses the American Eel as its main host for reproduction. Eastern Elliptio larvae, known as glochidia, attach to the gills of the American Eel and remain there until they metamorphose into juvenile mussels.

Alosa sapidissima – Native Family: Clupeidae The American Shad is a silver fish with a greenish-blue metallic sheen on its back. The scales easily detach, and its thin mouth tissue is easily torn. American Shad are anadromous, meaning they live in the ocean and swim upstream to spawn in freshwater rivers. Each spring, adult shad “run” up the Delaware River to spawn. American Shad spawn at night over sandbars or riffles. Females lay an average of 100,000 eggs and the eggs drift along with the current before hatching. Juveniles spend months in freshwater rivers and then return to the ocean in late summer and fall. Their diet consists of microcrustaceans, worms, insect larvae, and small fish.

Petromyzon marinus - Native Family: Petromyzontidae The Sea Lamprey is a jawless fish with a thin cylindrical body that superficially resembles an eel or snake. They may grow to three feet in length. Lampreys are considered the most primitive of all vertebrates. Sea Lampreys are anadromous and move up the Delaware River from the Atlantic Ocean to spawn. Like freshwater mussels, larvae filter-feed on plankton and other small particles. Adults are parasitic and feed by attaching their suction-cup mouth to the exterior of a host fish and then rasping away the fish’s skin with their tongue and consuming its blood and body fluids.

Morone saxatilis – Native Family: Moronidae The Striped Bass is a silver fish with olive green to blue gray back and white to silver underside. Striped Bass have six to seven dark stripes running horizontally along their body. They are anadromous and migrate upstream through freshwater rivers from the ocean or saltwater bays to spawn. Spawning and courtship rituals of the Striped Bass appear to be slightly chaotic with frantic spawning and swimming. It is essential that Striped Bass eggs stay in motion and move along with the river current. If the eggs sink to the bottom of the river, they often become covered in debris and die. Striped Bass are opportunistic predators with a diverse diet consisting of microcrustaceans, midge larvae, large crustaceans, mollusks, and other fish species.

The Upper Delaware Region is home to a diverse array of wildlife. The park provides habitat to both aquatic and terrestrial species that may face threats from human activity. The protection of the river ensures these species continue to exist into the future. Some of these animals are more apparent than others but each plays an important role in maintaining the health of the park’s different terrestrial, riparian, and river ecosystems. From eagles to mayflies, and everything in between, visitors are sure to find a variety of wildlife living and thriving in the river valley.

More than 60 species of fish reside within the river and its tributaries. Some migrate between the river and the Atlantic Ocean, such as American Eel and American Shad . Others, like the Blue-spotted Sunfish , make the river their permanent home. Freshwater mussels help keep the waters of the Upper Delaware River clean. Visitors may see Great Blue Herons wading in the shallow portions of the river looking for fish, frogs, or small crustaceans. Occasionally, River Otters are spotted gliding through the water or sliding on the riverbank. At dawn and dusk, watch carefully for White-tailed Deer attempting to cross roadways.

Hundreds of species of birds use the Upper Delaware River in one form or another. Thus, the river is an important part of the Atlantic Flyway, a route used by birds migrating between their breeding and wintering grounds. An important winter resident of the Upper Delaware River is the Bald Eagle. The watershed hosts one of the largest populations of wintering Bald Eagles in the northeast. Many other species including waterfowl, warblers, sparrows, hawks, and shorebirds also use the river corridor. The Pennsylvania Audubon Society designated the Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River as an Important Bird Area (IBA) in 1998. Visitors can also find several “hotspots” on ebird to report their sightings if they wish.

For many millennia, the landscape and associated plant and animal life of the Upper Delaware Region have been shaped and altered by the forces of nature. The Upper Delaware River is renowned for its exceptional water quality and the park works hard to keep it that way. But the river cannot be contained within a neat and tidy boundary, it is a natural feature, meandering through this valley. It is merely traveling through, and so the park alone cannot protect the river. It is through the cooperation and efforts of many people, and partnerships with fellow agencies, whether federal, state, county, or non-profit, and with the private property owners in the communities that line this river valley that will determine its fate. The ecological processes at play here provide provide services that are essential to our society such as purifying the drinking water for millions in the region, generating fish populations for commercial and recreational fisheries, and reducing the risk of flooding and flood damage. Some of these forces are natural and the changes that they cause are neither positive, nor negative but there are other factors acting against this region and threatening to damage the health of our natural systems. Nonnative species, which have arrived in this river valley from other parts of the world, often times transported by human activity, threaten to have substantial impacts on the park's terrestrial, riparian, and river ecosystems.

Occasionally, species from all around the world find a new home in the Upper Delaware Region and are known as nonnative species.

High water quality gives the Upper Delaware some of the most important fisheries habitat and recreational opportunities in the Northeast.

The Delaware River is one of the last large free-flowing rivers left in the contiguous 48 states, and one of the last major rivers without any dams or control structures on its main stem. It is the longest undammed river east of the Mississippi and extends 330 miles downstream from the confluence of the East and West branches in Hancock, New York to the mouth of the Delaware Bay where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The river is fed by 216 tributaries, the largest being the Schuylkill and Lehigh Rivers in Pennsylvania. In all, the basin contains 13,539 square miles. More than 180 miles of the 330-mile-long Delaware River have been placed into the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System ; this includes all 73.4 miles of Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River. The Upper Delaware River exhibits some of the highest ecological integrity found in any of the large rivers of this region. As the least developed section of the last major river on the Atlantic Coast, the Upper Delaware's wild and scenic, largely ecologically intact, free-flowing character supports key components and processes that contribute to the superb natural resources found here. Exceptional water quality , resulting from a predominately forested landscape, sustains high quality fish and aquatic insect assemblages. Excellent in-channel conditions result in an abundance of riffles, runs, and pools, and a diversity of in-stream habitats. These aquatic conditions, combined with good riparian habitat that is coupled with a functioning floodplain, provides great hydrological connectivity, structure, and function. The Upper Delaware River's ecological value extends beyond this segment of river. It provides regionally important high quality historic spawning and rearing habitat for sea-run migratory fish , helping to buttress their larger range-wide populations. These sea-run migratory fish greatly benefit the river as well. The spring spawning run of American shad brings fish that are a storehouse of carbon and nutrients amassed over their multi-year ocean odyssey into the river, providing nourishment that energizes the system and coincides with critical reproduction and provisioning periods for its wildlife , such as bald eagles . Sea-run American eels serve as a keystone species here, as the primary host fish (enabling reproduction) of eastern elliptio mussels , which make up the greatest animal biomass in the Delaware River and play an integral role in contributing to water quality through their filtering capacity.

Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River does not manage any campgrounds. Most of the land within the river valley remains in private ownership. If you plan to camp, be sure to inquire at locally established campgrounds or obtain landowner permission.

Primitive Camping Within the Buckhorn Natural Area of Delaware State Forest, near Pond Eddy, NY, there is a primitive camping area. This is a Pennsylvania State Forest primitive camping area for river users only . There are no facilities at this location and the area can only be accessed by water. You cannot access the site by car . A permit is required to camp at Buckhorn Natural Area.

Free permits are available to camp at Buckhorn Natural Area. Please download the camping permit form , fill it out, and email the completed form to Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River at upde_interpretation@nps.gov. A park ranger will review your information, sign the permit, and email you a copy. When completing the form, please fill out the following sections:

Emergency Contact Name and Phone Number (this should be a person who is not going on the trip, and can be contacted in case of an emergency)

Vehicle Description (optional, but this information can be used in case of an emergency to identify you or your party)

Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River staff will sign the permit, check that the permit has been authorized, and indicate if campfires are permitted (this is determined by the time of year and forest fire danger status). If you cannot download and/or complete and submit the form electronically to park staff, please call or email our staff to request a permit. When you contact us, please provide or be ready to provide the information the permit form requests (listed above).

Glass is prohibited on the river. Closed toed shoes are recommended to protect your feet.

Open fires, including campfires, are not permitted from March 1 – May 25 and October 1 – December 1; as well as when the forest-fire danger is determined by the District Forester to be High, Very High, or Extreme. Please check your permit if campfires are permitted. Campfires that are permitted must be attended to at all times.

This is a Pack-It-In, Pack-It-Out park. You must take any and all trash with you when you leave the camping area. Littering and disposal of garbage, paper, refuse, waste, or other material of any kind is prohibited.

By law, every person on the river is required to have a life jacket within reach. This includes individuals using boats, canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, inner tubes, and any other aquatic and inflatable devices and vessels. Children 12 years old and younger are required by law to wear a life jacket while on or in the river. Additionally, life jackets are required to be worn by everyone on the river when the river level is six feet or higher, as measured at the Callicoon Gauge (for upstream of the Narrowsburg bridge) and the Barryville Gauge (for downstream of the Narrowsburg bridge); and/or between November 1 through April 30.

You must have a digital or physical copy of the permit with you when you are camping. You must be able to present a copy of the permit to a ranger if asked.

Additional rules are listed on your permit. Please make sure to review the rules listed on your permit before you camp.