Note: Below is a tentative list of possible activities. The final schedule will likely change as the event draws nearer. Activities may be added, deleted, or modified.
Wet, Wild, and Always Fun – The Delaware River provides plenty of crystal-clear water and rapids all season long. Whitewater rafting with Kittatinny is the highlight of any groups vacation. Rafting on the Delaware River is perfect for novices and groups; no experience is necessary. It’s cool, wet fun for those hot summer days. Calm pools offer time for a picnic lunch, sunbathing, and taking a dip in the crystal-clear water. Kittatinny rafts hold up to six people You will paddle beneath cliffs and spectacular rock formations as you take in the breathtaking panorama where the Poconos meet the Catskill Mountains. This is an unguided float on the river.
Our trip will be a ten-mile paddle with four named Class I rapids from Pond Eddy, NY to Matamoras, PA. That will take approx. Five hours to paddle pending water levels. Everyone must always wear his or her PFD while on the water according to Mosaic rules. Bring water, food, sunscreen, paddlers wallet, long sleeve sun shirt, chums / croakies (for any eyewear) and closed-toe water shoes.
Class I to III Rapids include Stairway Rapids, Butlers Rift, Mongaup Rapids, Mill Rift (elevated ratings in high water)
SOLD OUT UNLESS YOU CAN DRIVE TO THE ACTIVITY. - Contact us directly to register for this activity.
Cut through "virgin forest," the Port Jervis Watershed Park’s hiking and biking trails offer a great combination of single-track, cross-country and excellent downhill riding. These very scenic trails offer tranquil moments along the three reservoirs as well as spectacular views over the Delaware River, Port Jervis proper and the borders of three-states. It’s a vast tract of land, boasting varying terrain, and areas of old-growth trees. There are over 30 miles of trail built into the encompassing 1,868 acres in Port Jervis and an adjoining 370 acres in neighboring Deer Park for hikers, bikers, and walkers, but not for motorists of any kind. “It’s strictly a motor-free environment,”
This is a full-on mountain bike ride with MTB biking intermediate skills required. You will have a choice of either an 8 mile or 11 mile route at three to four hours around the park. Part of the park is on a Mountain and parts or in the valleys around three lakes with the ups and downs in between. A suggested route will be provided, but the group is welcome to adjust as needed. Rentals are available from Port Jervis Bike Shop. You are welcome to bring your own mountain bike in your own vehicle.
The “Niagara of Pennsylvania,” Bushkill Falls is among the Keystone State’s most famous scenic attractions. This unique series of eight waterfalls, nestled deep in the wooded Pocono Mountains, is accessible through an excellent network of hiking trails, walkways, steps and bridges which afford fabulous views of the falls and the surrounding forest. The drop of the Main Falls is approximately 100 feet. From the top of the first falls to the bottom of the lower gorge, the drop is about 300 feet. In addition to the beautiful views of the falls, there are plenty of places to marvel at the rock formations and plant life. Rhododendrons, hemlocks, wild asters, maidenhair ferns, lichen, & moss are just a few of nature's wonders to enjoy. Not your typical nature walk, it’s a sightseeing adventure!
The group will take the two-mile Red Trail with many flights of stairs up and down along the water's edge. Most of the trail (but not all) is decked, and many of the steps are decked as well.
SOLD OUT
Gorgeous and diverse section of the Appalachian Trail through northern NJ.
Hike boardwalks, a suspension bridge, hardwood forest, fields of wildflowers, train tracks, a cow pasture, a boulder field… before steeply climbing the 1100+FT “Stairway to Heaven” to one of the best viewpoints in NJ: Pinwheel Vista. Once on top, the Kittatinny Mountains are visible in the distance, farms in the valley below, and on a clear day, High Point Monument. Then turn around and go back the way you came.
Moderate Hike. Trail surface ranges from super-duper-easy-peasy boardwalks to flat, hardpacked to dirt to serious rocky sections. The “Stairway to Heaven” is a series of rock slab steps with switch-backs up Wawayanda Mountain.
This is an out and back hike for a total of 7.4 miles. We will go at a moderate pace of about 2 miles an hour and a bit slower up the hill with periodic breaks. Hiking shoes or trail runners required. Depending on time and interest of the group, we could stop at Heaven Hill Farm for ice cream on the return trip.
Tumbling Waters Trail is along gurgling creeks through tranquil hemlock ravines, down to roaring waterfalls and up to views of the Delaware River Valley and the Kittatinny Ridge in New Jersey. This 3-mile orange blazed trail begins along the Fossil trail, across from Pocono Environmental Education Center's two group lodges, 30 yards up the campus road from PEEC's dining hall. At the end of the first mile, hikers are rewarded with a beautiful overlook of the Delaware Valley and Kittatinny Mountains in New Jersey at Hermits Hill. At 1.5 miles, take a series of switchbacks down 240Ft. to the waterfalls. We will enjoy listening to the waterfalls while taking lunch. Afterward, you must climb back up the switchbacks before continuing the main trail, which quickly ascends Killer Hill (total of 340Ft elevation gain from the falls to top of the hill). We will pass through 3 forest types: a hemlock forest, a mixed oak forest, and a pine plantation before arriving on the shore of Pickerel Pond, which is a few minutes from the end of this trail.
After a break at the main lodge for bathrooms, head back out for about another hour towards the Moderate to Easy 1½ mile Scenic Gorge which begins with Ridgeline Trail. Experience an open hardwood forest ecosystem & a dark, cool hemlock canopy along Spackman's Creek.
This hike repeats on Sunday.
The Ridgeline Trail is a well-marked and well maintained 4.5 mile/3 hour (without stops) moderate hike with less than 250 Ft elevation gain. For the first half-mile and the last mile of the trail, the Ridgeline Trail runs concurrently with the Scenic Gorge Trail.
You pass through the oak-chestnut forest and then climb up and over ridges of sedimentary rock, descend from a steep ridge – with the help of a rope – to the gorge below, where you visit the ruins of a cabin and its abandoned earthen dam. Follow around forested wetlands, and dive deep into a mature Hemlock forest following Spackman’s Creek. Even though the terrain is hilly, much of the area was farmed, and rock walls and a stone chimney can be seen along the trail. Before you leave the forest, you come to a 15-foot waterfall on Alicia Creek (AKA Sparkman’s Creek) and then hike alongside the stream back to your starting point.
CANCLED DUE TO LACK OF A LEADER
Enjoy a peaceful easy walk through the forest nearby camp. A good portion of the three-miles of trails in the Preserve is handicap accessible* with gradual uphill and downhills (total elevation gain/loss under 200 Ft.) and wide mostly flat paths. There are few places where you need to watch your step with rocks and tree roots.
Before his recent death, Township native, Charles Bridge donated his family's 300-acre property to Dingman Township. Charlie had two specific visions for the property - to honor his late wife's and mother's dream of preserving the property and to honor their wish that the land is accessible for public enjoyment. He also requested that the Park be named the Cornelia and Florence Bridge Preserve in their honor.
*The section on Florence Trail between Service Road and Cornelia Trail is NOT handicap accessible. There are too many rocks and roots to navigate, but there is a workaround to bypass this section of trail.
Grey Towers, the ancestral home of Gifford Pinchot, first chief of the US Forest Service and twice Governor of Pennsylvania, is considered the birthplace of conservation in America. Today, Grey Towers serves as a conservation education and leadership center, with programs that highlight the lives of the Pinchot family. We will have a one-hour private tour of the mansion and grounds followed by a couple of hours exploring the rest of the grounds and if time allows, take in a short hike in the surrounding woods.
After Grey Towers, we will go to Milford, PA where you can either shop at the local area shops or take a self-guided tour of the Milford historic district which dates back to 1733. Milford, PA is at the northern gateway to the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. An architecturally-significant historic village (75% is in a National Historic District), best known as the birthplace of the American Conservation Movement. The shops of Milford are chock full of charming boutiques, shops, art galleries, and antiques.
Incorporated as a borough on December 25, 1874, Milford's history dates back to 1733 when Tom Quick was the first settler. Milford, PA was laid out by John Biddis in 1796. He named the streets after his children and family, and the lanes after his favorite fruits and berries. There are numerous historic buildings throughout the village, noteworthy among them are Forest Hall, Hotel Fauchere, the Court House, Grey Towers, The Columns (exhibits The Lincoln Flag), the Upper Mill and the Community House, the Callahan House, the Dimmick Inn, and the Tom Quick Inn. Strolling these tree-lined streets fills you with peace, beauty, and a touch of nostalgia. (A section of Broad and Harford Streets receive designation as National Historic District in 1999).
Milford is located on an escarpment above the Delaware River. All waterways which drain into the river fall the 100-foot (30 m) difference in height, creating what is known as a fluviarchy, a network of waterfalls. These also provided water power to mills, which contributed to Milford's economy in the 19th century.
CANCELED
The first stop on our adventure is to delve into the exquisite crystal at the Dorflinger Glass Museum. This museum is home to the nation’s largest collection of brilliant Dorflinger glass crystal. It has almost 1,000 pieces of cut, engraved, etched, gilded and enameled crystal. Dorflinger glass was so highly desirable, it graced the tables at the White House for several different presidents. This tour will take about 1 hour.
After getting your fill of the Museum, looks for critters while exploring a portion of the tranquil paths of the nearly 600-acre grounds of the Dorflinger-Suydam Wildlife Sanctuary. This sanctuary has preserved the natural beauty and wildlife of northeastern Pennsylvania.
Then enjoy a 2-hour trip to Lackawaxen leaving out of Stourbridge Scenic Train Line’s Hawley station. Take in the beauty of the Lackawaxen River as it flows toward the Delaware River. Keep your eyes peeled for remains of the Delaware & Hudson Canal and the wildlife that inhabits the river and surrounding areas. Sit back and relax as you ride through the Northern Poconos. The railcars are heated, and restrooms and dining tables are available on the train. The restored historic railroad coaches let you experience how relaxing rail travel was from during the 1920s to the 1950s. Take a seat in one of their two 1920’s “Open Window” coaches and relax as the train makes its way down the tracks. Or have lunch in the dining cars (bring your own).