Big Pocono and the Delaware Water Gap – Monroe County PA

RATING: ♦♦♦♦+

From the Scotrun RV park, we took a second day trip up to Big Pocono State Park to see some more of the fall foliage. This is the highest point in the entire Pocono Mountains at 1,978 feet above sea level and has spectacular views.

At the upper elevations, the fall colors were beautiful. Unfortunately, it was not a clear day when we were up there, so we weren’t able to get any photos that showed just how beautiful it all was.

The Scotrun RV park is also near the Delaware Water Gap, where the Delaware River cuts through a large ridge of the Appalachian Mountains. Besides being wonderfully scenic, the gap is historically significant because it provided a vital passage for early travelers through the mountains.

The Delaware River runs through the Gap at an elevation of 280 feet above sea level while the mountains on either side are over 1,500 feet above sea level. It makes for a quite dramatic scene. The sides of the Gap are so steep that until the railroads came the only way through the Gap was by water. Roads didn’t come until much later.

The Delaware River forms the boundary between Pennsylvania and New Jersey and runs through the Gap. Today, I-80 passes through the Gap and across the river. The bridge over the river is actually part of the Appalachian Trail. We saw lots of hikers who were either beginning or ending their hike, and some who were crossing the river to continue back up the other side. You have to admire them.

Big Pocono and the Delaware Water Gap