Roundtrip Tour

Following the Delaware River: A Roundtrip Tour Through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York

Bud Miller

3 min read

New York SR 97, Hawk’s Nest, was originally built as a one-lane dirt road in 1859. In 2002, it officially became part of the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway.

This epic roundtrip of the historic Delaware River begins and ends at Washington Crossing Historic Park. As depicted in the famous painting by German-American artist Emanuel Leutze, this is where General George Washington led his Revolutionary War soldiers across the Delaware River on that fateful Christmas Day night. Historic sites can be found all along the Delaware River. Some of the historic and charming villages near the river include Lambertville, NJ; New Hope, PA; Frenchtown, NJ; Milford, NJ; Milford, PA; and Han- cock, NY.

The tranquility of Kadampa Temple for World Peace offers retreats and classes at a modern Buddhist temple in upstate New York.

A brief jaunt across the Delaware and back on historic Dingmans Ferry Bridge is well worth the time and toll. Part of this adventure is riding on historic Old Mine Rd, which is a 250-year-old roadway winding through Worthington State Forest. The road was named after the former mines at Pahaquarry in New Jersey. The tour’s turnaround point is SR 23 between Grand Gorge and Stamford, NY.

The curves on New York SR 97 are some of the best in the East. Photo by John M. Flores.

The level of traffic along the route declines the farther north you proceed. The roads are generally in good condition with the possible exception of several rough spots along the Old Mine Rd in New Jersey. After crossing the New York state line in Hancock, traffic virtually disappears and you’ll have the curvy, two-lane tarmac mostly to your- self. A particularly attractive location to take a break along SR 10 is at Cannonsville Reservoir; it’s the largest of several upstate reservoirs built to provide New York City with water.