Could the United States’ next national park be in… New Jersey and Pennsylvania? The Appalachian Mountain Club and the Sierra Club are pushing to have the Deleware Water Gap National Recreation Area become this country’s next national park. As it stands, the Deleware Water Gap encompasses 70,000 acres and is set around the Deleware River. Some of the cool features of the National Recreation Area include an impressive collection of waterfalls, one hundred miles of trails, including a portion of the Appalachian Trail, being at the heart of the Deleware River, historic villages, Mt. Tammany, and Kittatinny Point(the icon of the area), and Shawnee Mountain Ski Area, which is located just outside of the recreation area. One such waterfall is Raymondskill Falls, the tallest in the state of Pennsylvania. Recreation activities include rock climbing, white water rafting, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, hiking, camping, and more. 4.5 million already visit the area each year, so while more crowds could hamper the guest experience, additional funding that comes with being a national park could also help in terms of bringing the needed infrastructure to help the Deleware Water Gap reach its potential.
Should the Deleware Water Gap become this country’s next national park, or is there somewhere else that is more deserving?
Image/Video Credits: Deleware Water Gap National Recreation Area, PennLive.com, Pocono Tourism
