Hike #11 - -RESCHEDULED - Sunfish Pond in the Delaware Water Gap

Hike Date - Sunday, January 20th  New Date - Sunday, February 10th

To start our 3rd season we'll tackle our 1st ever winter hike, and return to a starting location of our 1st trail in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.  Sunfish Pond is a 44 acre glacial lake nestled atop the Kittatinny Ridge in Worthington State Forest and one of New Jersey's eleven designated National Natural Landmarks.
  • Length - Appx 8.1 Miles
  • Elevation Gain - ~1200 feet
  • Difficulty - Moderate to Challenging
  • Expected Duration - 4-6 hours
  • Park Trail Map - Worthington State Forest
  • Our Route - Here
  • Parking Location* - Dunnfield Parking off Route 80, just before River Road and 8/10 of a mile before the bridge.  Great diagram from njhiking.com - Main Lot is the preferred lot
  • Restrooms - There have been port-a-potty's at the Parking Lot, but then again not always.  There is a visitor center about 1/2 mile away, but that also may be closed in the off-season.  Safest bet is rest stop (McDonald's @ 10 Simpson Rd, Columbia, NJ) about 3 miles from the parking area

What to Expect
This is one of the more popular hikes in all of New Jersey, but Lou has never tried it before so this space is a little thin on details.  The initial ascent is a long, steady moderate climb of about 4 miles, with a steep section at the end.  It is also very rocky with a few stream crossings, so boots are a must this time, please avoid wearing sneakers. 

We can extend a few miles by heading down the ridge to the Delaware River and back up, completing a second loop noted in red in "our route" linked above.

Given it is January, weather conditions may not be suitable to hike.  We'll keep everyone informed of our plans as the date gets closer.  Please dress accordingly, there are some tips for cold weather hiking here.

Blazes and Mileage

  • 0.5 Miles - Appalachian Trail (White)
  • 3.5 Miles - Dunnfield Creek Trail (Green)
  • 4.1 Miles - Appalachian Trail (White)
  • EXTENSION OPTION 1 - Additional 3.5 Miles to River and Back
  • 0.5 Miles - Appalachian Trail along North end of Sunfish Pond (White)
  • 1.2 Miles - Garvey Springs Trail (Orange)
  • 1.8 Miles - Douglas Trail (Blue)
  • EXTENSION OPTION 2 - Additional 1.6 Mile Loop Around Pond
  • 0.6 Miles - Sunfish Pond Fire Road (not blazed)
  • 0.3 Miles - Turquoise Trail (Turquoise)
  • 0.7 Miles - Appalachian Trail (White)


*Parking Note:  It is very easy to miss the lot as it is not marked well and off interstate 80.   There is a definite sign for Dunnfield Creek Natural Area but if you are speeding by at 65 MPH it is easy to overlook.   The second lot is the best lot, not the lot we went to for the Mt Tammany Hike

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