Brodhead Watershed Do-It-Yourself Hike At Childs Park Delaware Water Gap

Get Outdoors Poconos, a grant-funded program administered by Brodhead Watershed Association in Monroe County, seeks to show Pocono folks where the best in local hiking is to be had.

This month’s selection is Childs Park in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

Visitors to Childs Park will see rustic wooden bridges crisscrossing Dingmans Creek, offering views of three crystalline waterfalls cascading through a lush ravine.

Highlights range from Factory Falls at the top, where the stone remains of a short-lived woolen mill still stand, to the picnic pavilion at Fulmer Falls.

Manicured trails and stairs along the creek are clearly marked. There are new walkways, picnic spots, and interpretive signs along the way. Part of the trail is handicap-accessible, right to the edge of the first waterfall.

DIRECTIONS: Take Route 209 to the Dingmans Ferry stoplight. Take Route 739 west to Silver Lake Road, then left onto Childs Park Road. Ample parking.

TRAILS: Easy to moderate walking on improved trails throughout. Handicap-accessible to the first waterfall, approximately 1/3 mile, one-way. Total is a 1.4-mile loop, with many stairs and boardwalks and elevation change of 144 feet.

DETAILS: Working dogs only; no pets of any kind. No swimming, wading or rock jumping. Rangers patrol regularly. Ample parking with composting restrooms at trailhead. No trash receptacles – pack out what you pack in.

For more information, visit the Get Outdoors Poconos website which offers photos, feature stories, trail maps and hiker’s hints.

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