In my previous River Talk column, I shared information about an educational trail worth traipsing near Hawley, PA (the Wallenpaupack Creek Trail). Here’s one for our readers to check out on the New York side of the mighty Delaware River.

The Delaware & Hudson (D&H) Canal Towpath Trail is located within the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River unit of the National Park Service. It passes under the historic Roebling’s Delaware Aqueduct Bridge (now referred to as the Roebling Bridge) and can be accessed via a parking area near the bridge in Minisink Ford, NY. 

Begun in 1847, the Roebling Bridge was designed and built under the supervision of John Roebling, future engineer of the Brooklyn Bridge. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1968, the Roebling Bridge is also a national Civil Engineering Landmark. Visit www.nps.gov/upde/learn/historyculture/roeblingbridge.htm to learn more about this interesting structure.

The scenic trail runs along the Delaware River on a roughly half-mile remnant of the original 1828 D&H Canal towpath, where walkers can observe the remains of dry-laid stone walls and other features of the canal system. 

The D&H Canal was the first canal built as a private enterprise in America. Constructed from 1825 to 1829, with 16 miles of gravity railway and 108 locks over a 108-mile canal, its purpose was to transport anthracite coal from mines in northeastern Pennsylvania to markets on the Hudson River. 

The Zane Grey Museum (a former residence of the famous author) is located just across the Roebling Bridge in Lackawaxen, PA. Visit www.nps.gov/upde/learn/historyculture/zanegrey.htm for more information.