Delaware Water Gap is a historic gateway to the Poconos
The monumental scale of the Delaware Water Gap commands attention from Appalachian Trail hikers, Interstate 80 travelers and kayakers peering up from the Delaware River below. This iconic gorge between Mount Minsi and Mount Tammany has long fueled the recreation industry of the Poconos, especially in the tiny Pennsylvanian borough that shares its name. “Delaware Water Gap is beautiful. It’s a really cute little town in Pennsylvania, but you’re not even 5 minutes from Jersey,” says Ourania Renata Mavrogiorgos, an associate at Re/Max of the Poconos who specializes in Monroe County. Half a million New Yorkers and Philadelphians flocked to the borough's swanky mountainside resorts each year at the turn of the 20th century. Devastating fires and the decline of railroad tourism reduced many of these palatial structures to forgotten foundations in the forests. However, a balance of historic preservation and the creation of the borough’s namesake national recreation area helped transition Delaware Water Gap into a quieter retreat for artists, jazz musicians and outdoor enthusiasts from the 20th century to today. Year-round residents and weekend visitors continue to come to Delaware Water Gap to be inspired by its centuries of cultural and artistic histories and a natural beauty formed over eons.
Appalachian Trail town recreation in a national recreation area
Although it shares a name with the borough, the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area covers nearly 70,000 acres of the forested Delaware River valley in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Many public access points launch kayakers along more than 40 miles of free-flowing river, and forests shade waterfalls and high-point overlooks in the ridges to either side. “There are a lot of nice hiking trails that are truly stunning all around town,” Mavrogiorgos says. One of the country's best-known trails cuts through the borough and the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area: the Appalachian Trail. Through-hikers and day trippers can follow signs within the borough to find the Mount Minsi trailhead. Scenic vistas of the famous Gap reward hikers along rocky, sloping paths through mature forests and thickets of rhododendrons. The Cherry Creek Crossing Loop Trail is much shorter and lower impact, though hikers will want to avoid getting their boots wet in the creek by crossing on the steppingstones. Minisink Park is just outside the borough, offering more walking trails, athletic fields and access to Brodhead Creek, a well-known trout-fishing destination. Shawnee Mountain Ski Area is roughly 10 minutes up River Road.
Historic homes in the borough’s forested hills
Many single-family homes in Delaware Water Gap were built from the mid-19th through early 20th centuries. Some share the ornate Victorian sensibilities of the resort boom, showcased in fanciful gingerbread trim or Mansard roofs. Others are more basic National homes and Foursquares that were popular in the prewar era. Newer midcentury homes, including Cape Cods and bi-levels, can also be found scattered around the borough. Sidewalks line some of the borough's sloping roads, but they end on narrow side streets that wind up into more forested hills. Homes rarely come on the market in Delaware Water Gap. According to a Homes.com calculation using a combination of estimation data, the borough’s average home value was about $360,000 in the middle of 2025.
Shopping and dining at historic Delaware Water Gap businesses
The Deer Head Inn’s Second Empire facade has been a Main Street landmark since the 1800s. Overnight guests and hungry music fans flock to the nation's longest continually operating jazz club for dinner and a show around its intimate stage area. Across Main Street, the Castle Inn is another of the borough’s famed historic resorts. While it’s no longer renting rooms, the inn has become a mini-mall for specialty businesses like vintage shops and an ice cream emporium. A couple of coffee shops also sell local artists’ work or host live musicians down the street. Diverse, casual restaurants are down the hill and round the corner onto Broad Street, serving everything from American and barbecue staples to ramen to fresh pies and farm stand goods. Residents will drive a few miles to big box stores like Walmart and GIANT in East Stroudsburg for groceries.
Local jazz and art at Delaware Water Gap events
Delaware Water Gap reprises its role as the jazz heart of the Poconos during the annual Celebration of the Arts Jazz and Arts Festival. Also called COTA, the event promises a weekend full of musical performances on stages at the Deer Head Inn and out on the street each September. The Antoine Dutot Museum and Gallery is a red 19th-century schoolhouse open through the warmer months. Visitors can learn about the borough’s history through displays and a short film on the second floor or browse rooms full of modern regional artists’ works in the first floor’s galleries. Presbyterian Church of the Mountain adds to the borough’s creative-crunchy personality. Beyond religious services, the church also advertises free summer concerts performed by its artists in residence and a hostel for Appalachian Trail hikers.
Traveling around Monroe County and to northeastern cities
Stroudsburg, the Monroe County seat, is about 4 miles down state Route 611. Lehigh Valley Hospital – Pocono is also a few miles down 611 in neighboring East Stroudsburg. Taking Interstate 80, New York City is a roughly 70-mile drive. Philadelphia is closer to 100 miles away. While residents typically rely on cars to get around, they can catch a Martz Bus to New York City from the park-and-ride terminal on Route 611. Monroe County’s Pocono Pony bus service operates a seasonal shuttle to destinations in the national recreation area. Lehigh Valley International Airport is about 40 miles from home.
Attending Stroudsburg Area School District
Students attend kindergarten through fourth grade at B.F. Morey Elementary School, which earns a B-minus from Niche. B-rated Stroudsburg Middle School serves fifth through seventh grades, and B-minus-rated Stroudsburg Junior High School serves eighth and ninth grades. Stroudsburg High School earns a B-plus and allows kids to explore different jobs through coursework organized into career clusters and pathways like manufacturing and health science.
Flood risk on Cherry Creek
Delaware River tributaries like Cherry Creek may flood parts of Delaware Water Gap after unusually heavy rain. Buyers should consult maps to understand their potential risk and need for flood insurance.
Written By
Julia Szymanski
