All Locations > Pennsylvania > Northeast Ridges & Va…

Delaware Water Gap (PA) Rock Climbing

Climbing Area Map

Areas in Delaware Water Gap (PA)

Caroline's Crag 4 / 0 / 4 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 4

DWG Ice 0 / 0 / 5 / 0 / 10 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 10

Mount Minsi 65 / 2 / 3 / 2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 68

Resort Point 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1

Slateford Creek (DWG) 9 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 4 / 0 / 9

Explore this area in 3D

Use onX Backcountry to explore the terrain in 3D, view recent satellite imagery, and more. Now available in onX Backcountry Mobile apps! For more information see this post.

Elevation:	424 ft	129 m
GPS:	40.97987, -75.13779 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	111,741 total · 580/month
Shared By:	Northeast Mountain Guiding on Apr 22, 2009
Admins:	Justin Johnsen, SCPC, SWPACC, EPAC Page Updates (admin only)

See Weather Forecast

Description

The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is administered by the National Park Service. On the Pennsylvania side of the river, Mount Minsi is the main trad climbing destination. Ice climbing is possible on waterfalls around the recreation area some winters, depending on conditions. This area was first climbed in the early 1900's going by documented information. The Princeton Mountaineering Club used this area from 1949 until the late 1950's for weekend rock climbing trips. In 1974 Packshack Adventures opened up and started offering guiding here. Doug Greene, brother of the owner of Packshack, Hugh Dougher and Henry McMahon did many first ascents here during the 1970's into the 1980's. Michael Steele, Mark ROnca and others put up harder routes here in the late 1980's into the 1990's. There were many others involved in route development here but the most active are listed above.

Guidebooks: Garden State Climbing 2018 by Joseph Vulpis is the most detailed for this area. The Falcon Guide NJ Rock Climbing by Neil Sloane has some great information.

Helmets should ALWAYS be worn in this area due to loose rock and hiking trails above the cliffs. This area is closed most years from March until June due to nesting Peregrine Falcons.

For the many climbs on the east side of the river, see Delaware Water Gap NRA, NJ (Mt.Tammany) .

See www.nps.gov/dewa for the park service map of the area.

Getting There

Located in Monroe County, Pennsylvania on PA 611 just South of the town of Delaware Water Gap, PA.

Bat Conservation | How You Can Help

See a Bat on a Route, Give Us a Shout!

Hey climbers, the Eastern Pennsylvania Alliance of Climbers (EPAC) is working with Rob Schorr at Colorado State University to help him spread the word about his bat research. Here’s a message from him about this important work and how, we as climbers, can help.

"Climbers for Bat Conservation is working with climbers to understand bat ecology and why bats choose certain cracks and flakes. We’re a collaboration between climbers, bat biologists, and land managers to understand where bats roost and where large populations may reside. We are interested in finding bats because of a new disease called white-nose syndrome (whitenosesyndrome.org) which has killed millions of bats in North America. This collaboration has identified bat roosts throughout the U.S., and as far away as Norway and Bulgaria. CBC was developed by biologists who climb and they are advocates for climbing access and bat conservation.

So, if you see bats while climbing, please let us know by emailing us at climbersforbats@colostate.edu, or visiting our website to learn more. climbersforbats.colostate.edu."

Thank You!
Rob Schorr

Zoologist, Colorado Natural Heritage Program (warnercnr.colostate.edu/rschorr/)
Director, Climbers for Bat Conservation
Robert.schorr@colostate.edu

83 Total Climbs

Route Finder - Best Climbs for YOU!

Location:	Delaware Water Gap (PA) Change
Type:	to Trad Sport Toprope
Quality:
Pitches:
Sort by:	then:

Classic Climbing Routes at Delaware Water Gap (PA)

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.

WI3 5 ● Silverthread Falls WI3 Ice DWG Ice > Silverthread Falls
5.4 4a 12 IV 10 VD 3c 30 ● Surprise Trad 2 pitches Mt Minsi > f. Land of the Giants
5.5 4b 13 IV+ 11 MS 4a 7 ● Full Tilt Trad Mt Minsi > j. Screaming Eagle Area
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b PG13 4 ● Black Hole Trad Mt Minsi > i. Playground Area
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b PG13 36 ● Osprey Trad 2 pitches Mt Minsi > h. High Wall
5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b 6 ● Drifting Arrow Trad 3 pitches Mt Minsi > c. The Practice Face
5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b 4 ● Boca Roca Grande Trad 2 pitches Mt Minsi > m. Boca Roca Grande
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c R 9 ● Chieftain Trad 2 pitches Mt Minsi > f. Land of the Giants
5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c 5 ● High Falls Trad 3 pitches Mt Minsi > c. The Practice Face
5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13 4 ● Point of No Return Trad 2 pitches Mt Minsi > f. Land of the Giants
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a 14 ● Snow White and the Seven Dwarves Trad, Sport Mt Minsi > h. High Wall
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a 5 ● Pain Builds Character Trad 2 pitches Mt Minsi > h. High Wall
5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b 6 ● Pleasure Feeds Addiction Trad 2 pitches Mt Minsi > h. High Wall
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b 7 ● Sleeping Beauty Trad, Sport Mt Minsi > h. High Wall
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c PG13 5 ● Voyage of the Damned Trad 3 pitches Mt Minsi > f. Land of the Giants