Charlie Fineran’s Photo of the Week is taken from Karamac Trail looking across the Delaware River at the old concrete pillars of the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railroad truss bridge.  Constructed in 1882, the truss bridge ferried freight and passengers to the Pennsylvania side of the Gap until 1940, when the railroad went bankrupt and dismantled the aging trusses perched high above the water.  Your journey along the trail is a journey to travel back in time over a hundred years, when the Delaware Water Gap was a vibrant community bustling with commerce and tourism.

This journey is Family friendly as you will enjoy hiking along the Scenic & Wild Delaware River, viewing various artifacts on the old rail bed.  Keep this short easy hike in mind for Fall Colors and many panoramic views of the entire area.

Starting at the southern parking area, which is located by the famous ‘three minute traffic light’ just north of the I 80 toll bridge, you travel along smooth tread and gentle grades, keep your eyes peeled, for as soon as you enter beyond the gate, there is a cement vertical marker, with the inscriptions, ‘JC 96’ which advised the trainmen 96 miles to Jersey City.  During your hike take time to enjoy the magnificent Delaware River below you, along with the panoramas of the surrounding mountains.  Along the path, keep your eyes peeled for crumbling concrete and rusting metal- some of the last remaining indicators of this area’s dynamic history. Toward the end of the trail, right before the trail climbs strenuously, peer over the Delaware to view one of the last surviving remnants of the former railway: The concrete pillars of the NSY&W Karamac truss bridge.

NOTE:  Going North from where the bridge was (Photo of the Week) the trail climbs about two hundred feet ending at the Farview Parking Area, unless you have a second car parked there, I would recommend just turning around and return via the flat easy rail trail.

There is an excellent detailed article about this trail in the Skylands Visitor – http://www.njskylands.com/odhikekaramac

Please visit my Flickr site for photos – https://www.flickr.com/photos/charliefineran/albums/72157692968724900

Enjoy Your Open Space, Charlie Fineran