Visitors recreating on & beside the river are reminded to use caution; river depths & conditions can change unexpectedly.

All boaters are encouraged to wear a properly fitted Personal Flotation Device (PFD); boaters are required by law to have a PFD available for use for each individual aboard their watercraft. 

All visitors to the Upper Delaware River Valley are encouraged to have a copy of the Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River Map. These are available at most river accesses, portable ranger stations (at river accesses), the park's headquarters, and the Zane Grey Museum/UPDE Visitors Center. 

Pennsylvania & New York state rules & regulations apply to all visitors using this park; proper licenses/permits are required for those hunting, camping (in state forests/game lands), fishing, & boating within the boundaries of the park. For additional information on licensing, visit the websites for the Pennsylvania Game Commission, Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, and the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. 

The Upper Delaware River Valley is classified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by the National Audubon Society. The most sought after species within this region is the Bald Eagle. Crowds accumulate at river accesses annually to observe the impressive numbers of these raptors that occupy the corridor, especially during the winter months, when their homeland waterbodies of Northern New England & Canada freeze forcing them to fly south. Delaware Highlands Conservancy volunteers have been monitoring the abundance & well-being of Bald Eagle populations in the Upper Delaware River Valley since their recovery began in the 1980s & 90s; the conservancies efforts continue to this day and are most prominent in the Lackawaxen area. The northern stretches of the Delaware River also serve as a valuable resource for small populations of wintering waterfowl including Common Goldeneyes, Buffleheads, American Black Ducks, Mallards, Common Mergansers, & Hooded Mergansers. Birders to the region during the summer months are likely to enjoy a diverse group of songbirds! Most notable are breeding populations of Warbling Vireos, Swallows, Common Grackles, American Redstarts, Yellow Warblers, & Northern Parulas. Small populations of Cerulean Warblers & Louisiana Waterthrushes are also potential here. 

 **For additional information & safety tips, clink the link above for the Upper Delaware S&RR Hotspots Overview/Group page**

The Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River (UPDE) is a unit of the National Park System situated along the northeastern boundary of Pennsylvania & the southwestern boundary of New York. It was established in 1978 through the National Wild & Scenic Rivers System to protect a 73.4 mile stretch of the Delaware River from Hancock, NY to Sparrowbush, NY. The park encompasses 55,575-acres; most of which are privately owned with several managed & protected by efforts made by local residents through their cooperation with local land & watershed conservancies. Lands within the park that are publicly accessible are owned & maintained by either the Pennsylvania Game Commission, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission, New York Sullivan County Parks Department, the Greater New York Council of Boy Scouts, or the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. The National Park Service owns approx. 30-acres of land across 3 different sites including the Zane Grey Museum & UPDE Visitors Center, Roebling Bridge, & Cowen Farm Ranger Station/River Access. 

The park's rural surroundings are fantastic for nature exploration & other forms of outdoor recreation! The Upper Delaware is famous for the opportunities it presents to enjoy rafting, canoeing, tubing, & kayaking with several privately owned outfitters scattered throughout the valley providing visitors with boat use. Such outfitters currently include Lander's, Indian Head, Kittatinny Canoes, Reber's, Jerry's, & Silver Canoe. Camping within the park is available at river outfitter campgrounds as well as at other privately owned campgrounds that are not necessarily associated with boating. Fishing is the second most prominent form of recreation within the park as anglers actively pursue Trout, Smallmouth & Striped Bass, Walleye, Panfish, & American Shad. Additional forms of park recreation include Bald Eagle viewing (in winter) & scenic automobile drives along NY Route-97 (in fall). History buffs are not excluded from the action as they have the opportunity to explore the Zane Grey Museum, Roebling Bridge, Fort Delaware, & the Minisink Battleground Park. Hiking is available at 7 different localities: Tusten Mountain, Damascus Forest, Cobey Pond, Bouchoux, Minisink Battleground, Mongaup River, & the Towpath Trail. The National Park Service occasionally offers education programs at river accesses & historical landmarks scattered throughout the park. 

**For park information, or in the event of an emergency, visit the Upper Delaware Visitors Center/Zane Grey Museum in Lackawaxen (PA), Park Headquarters near Narrowsburg (NY), OR any of the portable ranger stations located at various river accesses during the summer months**