Delaware Canal State Park

Park Field Guide

The central feature of Delaware Canal State Park is the 60-mile long towpath trail, a multi-use hike and bike path that winds through the heart of the pastoral lower Delaware River valley. The towpath trail was once the main artery of commerce and transportation for this region of Southeastern Pennsylvania. It runs beside the remains of the Delaware Canal, a man-made waterway, which is essentially a ditch twenty-five feet wide and seven feet deep, that was dug entirely by hand beginning in 1825.

From 1832 to 1931, canal boats plied the Delaware Canal, carrying anthracite coal from the mines of Mauch Chunk, PA to Bristol, PA, where the tidewaters of the Delaware Bay made the Delaware River deep enough to be navigable year-round. Sturdy teams of stout-bodied mules walked the towpath, pulling boats laden with up to 100 tons of cargo toward their destinations. Mule drivers, often the children of the boat captains, walked with the teams. It was their job to make sure the mules kept to the path and kept moving.

Today the towpath is home to hikers, bikers, joggers, dog walkers, horseback riders, bird watchers, and those simply out for a leisurely stroll. Wildlife abounds, both in and around the canal and river, and sightings are frequent. A white-tailed deer might bound across the path at any moment, or a majestic blue heron glide past on its way to its favorite fishing grounds.

The story of the Delaware Canal is linked with the stories of the Delaware and Lehigh rivers. Without the rivers nearby to act as water sources, the canal would never have been a possibility. While having rivers nearby was a necessity for the canal, it was also a curse. During the heyday of the canal, river floods caused continual damages and often stopped canal traffic for months at a time. Today is no different. Floods, such as those that occurred in 2004, 2005, and 2006, can damage the towpath and canal structures. When planning your trip on the Delaware Canal towpath, please contact us or look at the advisories on our main park page for the most current towpath conditions.

Field Guide Sections

Shad Ladder - Historical & Recreational Resources - Nearby Sites of Interest - Natural Areas - Species of Note - Species Inventory

Shad Ladder

The Delaware Canal starts at the confluence of the Lehigh and Delaware Rivers in Easton, PA. The Delaware is the longest undammed, free-flowing river east of the Mississippi. Many of its tributaries, such as the Lehigh River, have been dammed for industrial, water retention, or flood control purposes. The dam at the mouth of the Lehigh River is integral to the functioning of the Delaware Canal, as it provides the primary water source for the canal's northern section. However dams inhibit the movement of migratory fish species, such as the American shad. A shad needs to return to its birthplace in order to spawn. Obstructions such as dams cause declines of migratory fish species.

One way to help migratory fish overcome manmade obstacles is to build them a ladder. The shad ladder at Easton is an inclined series of water filled chambers that the fish can navigate to pass over a dam. Shad sense the strong current created by the outflow at the bottom of the fish ladder, and swim into the first "step" of the ladder. The walls of the chamber are carefully designed to create a strong current of water that will lead the fish into the next chamber and a calm pool where a tired fish can rest without being washed back out of the ladder. By swimming from chamber to chamber, the fish progresses uphill and over the dam. When it passes through the final "step" of the ladder, it reenters the river above the dam and can continue upstream toward its spawning grounds. Creating and maintaining structures such as the shad ladder has gone a long way toward restoring the indigenous shad population of the Delaware River and its tributaries. Fish ladders improve the natural diversity of our waterways and increase their recreational value as well.

For more information on shad, visit the Species of Note section of this field guide.

Historical & Recreational Resources

Weigh Lock - Groundhog Lock - Durham Furnace - Giving Pond Recreation Area - Smithtown - Tohickon Aqueduct - Lumberville - Virginia Forrest Recreation Area - Hendrick Island - Lock #11 - Outlet Lock - Yardley - Bristol & Tide Lock

The entire 60-mile length of Delaware Canal State Park is full of historical treasures. The canal tells the story of a growing nation, an innovative method of transportation, and the industrial development of eastern Pennsylvania. In the canal itself, structures such as lift locks, weirs, waste gates, weigh locks, tide locks, cable ferries, and aqueducts show how the canal was a cleverly engineered waterway capable of moving millions of tons of cargo during the years of its operation. Nearby can be found many historic homes, factories, and other traces of the people that made their livings on and around the canal.

From Bristol the Delaware Canal rises 165 feet above sea level. This elevation change was overcome by the use of 23 lift locks. A total of ten aqueducts, 21 waste gates, eight stop gates, nine dams, 27 overflows, 125 bridges, two guard locks, one weigh lock at Easton, one outlet lock, and one tide lock comprise the rest of the structures.

Weigh Lock and Canal Entrance

The confluence of the Lehigh and Delaware Rivers marks the beginning of the Delaware Canal. Officially known as the Delaware Division of the Pennsylvania Canal, this canal served primarily to carry boats laden with anthracite coal from Easton, PA to Philadelphia. Canal boats traveling from the coal fields at Mauch Chunk (today known as Jim Thorpe, PA) first passed through the Lehigh Canal, which ended near the confluence of the two rivers. At this point boats bound for points north or east would cross the Delaware River on a cable ferry and enter the Morris Canal. Boats headed south would enter the Delaware Canal.

The first structure a canal boat would pass on the Delaware Canal was a guard lock. The purpose of the guard lock was to prevent high water events on the Lehigh river from flooding the Delaware Canal. After passing through the guard lock, the boat entered a weigh lock, where a complex cradle mechanism would take the weight of the laden boat to determine how much cargo it carried. The state of Pennsylvania, which owned the Delaware Canal for much of its working history, charged tolls based on how much cargo boats carried and how far they traveled on the Delaware Canal. The locks on the Delaware Canal were numbered from south to north, so a laden boat began its trip at Lock 24 in Easton and worked its way down to Lock 1 in Bristol.

Once past Lock 24 the canal boat's journey on the Delaware Canal had truly begun.

Groundhog Lock

Locks 22 and 23 on the Delaware Canal are approximately 5.7 miles along the canal from the headwaters at the Lehigh River, just south of the town of Raubsville. Known as Groundhog Lock, these two locks were combined into one double lock in the mid 1850s. This consolidated lock lifted boats 17.3 feet, which made it the highest on the Delaware Canal. The water power generated at Groundhog lock was used in many ways over the years. Various industries were located at the site, including a sawmill, a distillery, and later a paper mill. In the early 1900s a hydroelectric plant was built on the site, the remains of a which can still be seen today.

Located just south of Groundhog Lock is Theodore Roosevelt Recreation Area. When the land for what is today known as Delaware Canal State Park was given to Pennsylvania in the 1940s and 50s, the park was initially named Roosevelt State Park. The name was changed to Delaware Canal State Park in 1989, to better reflect the park's rich history. Theodore Roosevelt Recreation Area is the only part of the park that still retains its original name.

Durham Furnace, Boats, & Cave

Durham Furnace, now little more than a few houses and businesses, was once a bustling community busy making pig iron out of iron ore. The earliest furnaces in the area were located several miles from the river, and operated from 1727 to 1789. In 1840 the first anthracite coal burning furnace was developed, and gave new life to the Durham area. Two of the new furnaces were constructed at the mouth of Durham Creek in 1848, enabling them to get deliveries of iron ore and anthracite coal from the canal. Durham Iron Works became one of the great innovators of this new method of iron production, and was ranked one of the best in the country. Much of the pig iron and finished products produced at Durham Iron Works were shipped to Philadelphia and elsewhere via the Delaware Canal. The Durham Iron Works closed in 1908 and was dismantled in 1914. Today only the canal remains.

Durham was also famous for the development of the Durham Boat, which was a little like a large, flat-bottomed canoe used for transporting goods down river. The largest of these boats were capable of carrying up to 20 tons of cargo downstream. On the return journey they could only carry a maximum of 2 tons of cargo. While sometimes the boats could sail part of the way upstream, rapids and shallows had to be navigated by pushing the boat upstream with large poles. When the canal was in operation, Durham boats often elected to leave the river and return upstream via canal, a much easier trip. Much to the boatmen's dislike, a one way trip upstream on the canal was charged double tolls. Durham boats were used during Washington's famous crossing of the Delaware, and can be seen at Washington's Crossing Historical Park.

Another attraction of the Durham area was its famous cave. Once only a hundred yards from the river, and comprised of three enormous rooms, Durham Cave's main misfortune was that it was made of limestone. The cave, once an important site to the Lenape Indians, was slowly demolished and its limestone burned to make fertilizer and later to feed the iron furnaces. What little still remains is located on private land, and is inaccessible to visitors. Already aware of this problem, on July 9, 1850, the Doylestown Democrat reported: "The entrance and first rooms are gone, leaving but a small one in the rear. … We very much doubt whether the rest of mankind can then be persuaded that such a cave ever existed in Durham Township."

Giving Pond Recreation Area

A former sand and gravel quarry, the Giving Pond is now a quiet 90-acre body of water nestled between the Delaware River and the Delaware Canal. An ideal spot for paddling, fishing, bird watching, and more, the Giving Pond is a hidden gem and the newest addition to Delaware Canal State Park. Acquired in 2002 and dedicated in 2003, it is a habitat in progress. As a former disturbed industrial site, Giving Pond is currently in the process of becoming a more natural habitat, which makes for an interesting opportunity to observe nature's resiliency up close.

The Giving Pond is open to unpowered boats and craft with electric motors only. Archery hunting is allowed during the appropriate seasons. During the months of June to October, Delaware Canal education staff offer public paddling programs at Giving Pond on the first and third Saturdays of each month.

The Giving Pond is located on River Road (PA 32) in Tinnicum Township. The parking lot is on the west side of River Road, between Uhlerstown Hill Road and Jugtown Hill Road, 0.8 of a mile north of the Uhlerstown/Frenchtown River Bridge and 2.5 miles south of the Upper Black Eddy/Milford River Bridge.

Smithtown

The Smithtown area was named for Joseph Smith, an early area resident who invented, patented, and sold plows with cast iron moldboards. The buildings he used for his shop no longer exist, as they
were demolished in the construction of the Delaware Canal. Smithtown was the location of double lock #15-16, which was the second deepest on the canal after Groundhog Lock. Locktender Flora Henry, one of the few female locktenders on the Delaware Canal, inherited the Smithtown locktender's job from her father in 1931, and held it until the final closing of the canal, which occurred later that year.

Tohickon Aqueduct

The Tohickon aqueduct, which is the longest on the Delaware Canal, spans Tohickon Creek in Point Pleasant. The impressive 221-foot span caused many problems during the years of canal operation, as it periodically collapsed or was carried away by floods. Today's beautifully reconstructed wooden aqueduct was completed in 2001 and can be seen gracing the cover of the Delaware Canal State Park map.

Lumberville

Lumberville was a lumber and sawmill town. William Tinsman purchased the lumberyard in 1869, and his descendants still run Tinsman Bros., Inc. in Lumberville to this day. Lumberville is also home to a historic canal-side inn called the Black Bass Hotel, which has been operating since 1745. A scenic suspension footbridge spans the river next to the Black Bass Hotel, leading to Bull's Island Recreation Area, a New Jersey state park. An ill-fated site for vehicle bridges, the historic covered toll bridge that once stood here was washed away in 1903. Its replacement, a steel truss structure, was condemned in 1944. The current pedestrian structure was erected in 1947. Elements from both historic bridges can still be seen.

Virginia Forrest Recreation Area

A mile north of Center Bridge, near the midpoint of the canal, is Virginia Forrest Recreation Area. Named for Virginia R. Forrest (1897-1991), a passionate Bucks County conservationist and environmentalist, the area has parking, river access and restrooms. Virginia Forrest was the first woman to win the Governor's Conservation Award in 1961. She founded the Bucks County Conservation Alliance in 1972.

Hendrick Island

This 112-acre island has a long history of use. Part of the Delaware River Islands Natural Area, the northern tip of Hendrick Island can be seen from Virginia Forrest Recreation Area. Hendrick Island was once part of the Delaware River shoreline, but a meander in the river cut it off and turned it into an island. The island is a Delaware Canal State Park special management area due to sites of archaeological importance. During archaeological digs by students and staff of Temple University, artifacts dating from 3000 B.C. to 1000 A.D. were found, many of them relating to the manufacture of stone tools. The prehistoric peoples living on Hendrick Island are thought to be the ancestors of the Lenape Indians. Artifacts such as weapon heads, knives and pottery were also found on the island.

More recently, the island housed a farm, a sawmill, and a farmhouse. The buildings were destroyed in the 1955 flood. In 1955 PECO energy purchased the island, intending to use it as a site for a hydroelectric plant. The plans never came to pass, and in 1996 the island became part of Delaware Canal State Park.

This property was preserved thanks in part to the Heritage Conservancy. For more information about land conservation projects such as Hendricks Island, visit the Heritage Conservancy website.

New Hope & Lock #11

Walking on New Hope's crowded Main Street, one might never guess that the canal was there. Nestled behind the shops and restaurants the canal and towpath lie hidden and quiet. The restored Lock #11 and Locktender's House Museum is home to the Friends of the Delaware Canal and New Hope's famous mule drawn canal boat ride. Much of Delaware Canal State Park's canal education programming takes place at the Locktender's House Museum, and a park educator is available to give tours and answer questions on weekends. This is a great spot to visit if you want to get a good look at how a canal lock functioned or want to see mules treading on the towpath.

Outlet Lock & Cable Ferry

Just below Lock #11 the canal disappears under River Rd (PA-32) and re-emerges to flow through Locks #10 and #9. A sudden sharp bend to the left marks what was once an outlet lock and feeder canal through which boats could leave the Delaware Canal and cross the river via cable ferry to enter the Delaware & Raritan Canal feeder in Lambertville, New Jersey. Boats making this crossing reportedly had to pay a heavy toll. Mules had to walk back through New Hope and cross the river on the New Hope/Lambertville bridge.

The feeder canal associated with the outlet lock did a poor job of putting water into the canal. In 1831 a pair of waterwheels were installed at Union Mill, just south of New Hope, which pumped water into the canal. While some of the housing for the wheels still remains behind the condominium development that has grown up on the spot, the wheels themselves were washed away in the flood of 1936.

Yardley

Another historic canal town, Yardley is located near mile 14 along the towpath. William Yardley settled the area in 1682, before either Philadelphia or Trenton existed. Yardley is known to have been a station on the Underground Railroad. There are several known hiding places for fleeing slaves located around the town, including warehouses on the Delaware Canal. The canal was likely a mode of travel for north-bound slaves.

Bristol & Tide Lock

For canal boat crews headed south with a full load of coal, they knew their journey was almost at an end when the Grundy Clock Tower came into view. This marked approximately one mile to the end of the canal, and meant that the crew would soon have earned a well-deserved day of rest. Today the picturesque Bristol Lagoon park marks the spot and is also, for the most part, the end of the canal. The next mile of the canal has been lost to development. Markers and signs point out the former location of locks and canal structures. The end of the canal, where the five acre tidal basin and tide lock were once located, have been replaced by a parking lot and Bristol Wharf.

Nearby Sites of Interest:

Phillips Mill

From a mill village established in 1743 to an artists' colony in the early 1900s, this spot has a long and colorful history. It is located about two miles north of New Hope, near canal mile marker 26. The mill was operated from 1756 to 1889 by Aaron Philips and his descendants. Later it became home to Philadelphia physician Dr. George M. Marshall, who convinced his childhood friend, the painter William Lathrop, to move in. Lathrop founded the New Hope School of Impressionism, and often ferried his students to the Philips Mill property on his own canal boat. The Holmquist School for Girls, an early progressive independent school, also had its roots at Philips Mill. It later merged with the Solebury School, a local boys' school, to become one of the first co-educational independent schools in the country.

Phillips Mill is still known for its local and regional juried art shows.

Bowmans Hill & Thompson Neely House

About two miles south of New Hope the canal passes several spots of historical interest. Next to the towpath lies parts of the upper division of Washington Crossing Historical Park. This former camping and picnic areas are no longer in use, due to flood damages. Across the canal is the Thompson-Neely house, a former mill-owners home which was used as a field hospital during the Revolutionary War.

Across River Road (PA-32) from the Thompson-Neely house is Bowman's Hill Tower and Wildflower Preserve. Many walking trails wend through this nature preserve, which is dedicated to interpreting local woodland flora. Guided tours are available daily. A hike up to Bowman's Hill Tower gives an excellent view of the Delaware River valley.

Washington Crossing Historical Park

Just north of the town of Taylorsville, the towpath runs beside Washington Crossing Historical Park. The park is dedicated to interpreting Washington's historic crossing of the Delaware River on December 25, 1776. In addition to the annual crossing reenactment, the park offers a look at historically preserved buildings of the 18th and 19th centuries, a collection of Durham boat replicas which are used in the annual crossing, videos, guided tours, and special programs.

Natural Areas

Pennsylvania state park natural areas are of unique scenic, geological or ecological value. These areas are maintained in a natural condition by allowing physical and biological processes to operate, usually without human intervention. Natural areas are set aside to provide locations for scientific observation of natural systems, to protect examples of typical and unique plant and animal communities and to protect outstanding examples of natural interest and beauty.

Delaware Canal State Park has two designated state park natural areas—Nockamixon Cliffs and River Islands. These areas contain threatened or endangered species and are unique natural environments. Visitors are welcome to explore these areas, but are asked to abide by the old saying, "take only pictures, leave only footprints." Camping within natural area, including the river islands, is prohibited.

Explore Pennsylvania State Parks' natural areas page for more information.

Nockamixon Cliffs

The Nockamixon Cliffs Natural Area forms sheer north-facing cliffs that tower over 300 feet above the river. The shale cliffs are situated at a curve in the river, between Kintnersville and Narrowsville. Visible from both the Delaware River and New Jersey, these cliffs dominate the landscape of the entire area. In places, series of rock shelves and deeply cut ravines containing seeps and rivulets provide habitat for a variety of forest and cliff plant communities. The rock appears to be bare in winter, but is well covered by vegetation in summer.

Due to their north-facing aspect, Nockamixon Cliffs receive little direct sunlight. This cool habitat supports an alpine-arctic plant community that is unusual to find this far south. Some of these plants are rare or endangered in Pennsylvania. Directly across the Delaware River, an opposite set of circumstances occurs, creating habitat for unusually arid plants.

Nockamixon Cliffs originated geologically from reddish sands and mud carried by torrential streams from the northwest. Massive amounts of these sediments were deposited into temporary shallow lakes. The resulting red sandstone and shale can still be found throughout the region. They are bright red and break easily into flakes and fragments.

Toward the end of the Triassic Period, molten magma from deep within the earth's crust flowed into these beds of sedimentary rock. These "igneous intrusions" heated the surrounding sandstone and shale, changing them into tough, weather-resistant rock called hornfel.

During the Jurassic Period, the region was subjected to continuous erosion. While some other rock, such as the sandstone and shale were worn away, the hornfel resisted weathering, allowing the Nockamixon Cliffs to rise above the surrounding landscape.

The talus slope at the cliff base is covered by Dutchmen's breeches in spring. Wild columbine, rock cress, herb Robert, moss phlox, and harebell carpet the rock face well into summer.

The area is frequented by raptors and a variety of other birds, adding a dimension of wilderness to the general character of rugged, unspoiled beauty.

Due to the delicacy of the plant communities present in the Nockamixon Cliffs Natural Area, active recreational pursuits such as rock climbing, camping, and hunting are not permitted within its boundaries.

River Islands

Both humans and wildlife use the undisturbed natural areas of the Delaware River Islands for rest and recreation. The Delaware River, one of the last free-flowing rivers in the United States, is an important corridor for migrating birds; the islands provide safe stopovers through a rapidly developing area. Publicly owned river islands also enhance recreational opportunities for canoeists, kayakers and fishermen. The islands are part of the water trail used by canoeists and other small boaters on the Delaware River. For more information on the sections of the water trail adjacent to our park or to order recreational river maps, visit our friends at the Delaware River Basin Commission.

Some river islands, such as Hendrick Island, were originally part of the main shoreline, but most islands grew individually from the river itself. Silt and stone left by glacial waters almost 10,000 years ago form the substrate of these islands. Seeds were eventually deposited by wind, water or wildlife. As plants grow on the islands, the roots bind the substrate materials together. Although they are relatively stable, the size, shape and location of the islands shift slightly with the movements of the river.

Delaware Canal State Park manages the Delaware River Islands Natural Area, which includes (from north to south) Loors Island, Whippoorwill Island, Old Sow Island, Raubs Island, the Lynn Island Group, and the Hendrick Island Group. With the exception of Hendrick Island, all the river islands are located near Raubsville and Kintnersville, in the northernmost 12 miles of the park. The main island at Hendrick is designated as a Special Management Area due to archaeological significance.

While river islands are beautiful places to rest and fun to explore, please visit them with care. The islands are delicate environments, and provide important habitat for birds and other wildlife, as well as several rare plants. No camping or hunting is permitted in the Delaware River Islands Natural Area.

Species of Note

The American Shad – Alosa sapidissima

The American shad is the largest member of the herring family. Spawning adults commonly reach four to eight pounds.

Female shad are called "roes" and males "bucks."

An anadromous species, shad are born in freshwater, spend three to six years at sea and return to their natal waters to spawn.

Adult shad do not eat on their way to spawning grounds. Unlike salmon, not all shad die after spawning and will eat on their return trip to the sea.

For centuries, there has been a dynamic interaction between the Delaware River and the people and cultures that have lived and worked in its basin. One of the best examples of this interaction is the story of the American shad. Because of its predictable migrations, the shad has served as an important resource to many cultures throughout history.

The Lenni Lenape depended on shad as a staple of their diet. They began the traditional methods of preparing shad, by grilling them on wooden racks. The Lenape also preserved shad by air drying and smoking. The shad was an important part of life for the early Moravians and other settlers in the Delaware Valley.

As human populations grew, pollution from sewage and industrial wastewater increased. By the time of the American Revolution, pollution of the Philadelphia waterfront and various tributaries was a serious problem. By the early twentieth century, key fish populations had all but collapsed due to pollution, habitat destruction, and over-fishing.

Water pollution worsened during World War II. In 1946, the Delaware Estuary experienced a 20-mile zone of zero dissolved oxygen, preventing all migratory fish including the American shad from passing into their native spawning grounds.

In 1961, the Delaware River Basin Commission launched a pollution control effort which greatly improved water quality. Unfortunately, pollution was not the only thing effecting the American shad.

During the great canal building era of the 1830s rivers were dammed to ensure water supplies for the canals. Two dams vital to the Delaware and Lehigh Canal system disrupted the shad migration up the Lehigh River preventing the fish from reaching their spawning grounds.

To help the shad re-establish their native spawning grounds on the Lehigh River, while keeping the historic canal intact, park staff have maintained two fish passageways since 1993. These "ladders" allow the fish to navigate upstream, through a series of chambers, around the dams and on to spawning grounds at the Lehigh River as far north as the Frances Walter Dam.

For more information on shad in Pennsylvania, visit the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission shad Web site.

Park Species Inventory

Click on the links below to go to the complete species listings for our park.

• Mammals
• Amphibians & Reptiles
• Fish
• Birds
• Giving Pond Recreation Area Bird List - Organized by abundance.
• Trees & Shrubs
• Plants

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