Camping between Culver's Gap, NJ & Delaware Water Gap, PA

[soulslosher]

Currently planning a small section hike from Culver's Gap, NJ (Route 206) to the Delaware Water Gap, PA. There's only one shelter between these two points (Brink Road).. Any cool campsites/stealth camping sites once past the Brink Road Shelter going South? Most likely will need to stop before getting to the Water Gap.
Thanks!

[nox]

thers a couple nice spots right around sunfish pond.. the frogs can get kinda loud if you are right on the water though. If you hammock theres a perfect set of trees right where the trail meets the pond.

[snorz]

just past blue mt rd there are some nice locations.good view of sunrise.look for rock #55! water is scarce.

[perrito]

Check these links out:

http://bp2.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewT...x?tripId=47531

http://bp2.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewT...x?tripId=47532
(stayed at WPT030, it was nice)

[soulslosher]

Thanks everyone! Perrito, the grassy place where the houses used to be sounds interesting.. I'll check that out!

[Toolshed]

Rattlesnake mountain has incredible sites and views. Between Brinks road shelter and Flatbrookville oad (BML Road) . No Water but great views

[Tinker]

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/...imageuser=2502
Here's where we stayed. There are several sites below the tower to the east (stealth) along what appears to be an old overgrown dirt road bed. BYOW (water - no source on top). The views are phenomenal.

[jersey joe]

I'll second rattlesnake mountain. Where the old houses used to be has some great camping sites and there is a water pump at the road where you should be able to fill up first if heading south. I saw 5 bear in the section where the old houses used to be earlier this summer.

Also, camping at sunfish pond as someone suggested is not allowed.

[Toolshed]

Also, While Crater Lake may look like an awesome site, along some of the back roads behind it, Rangers do go through there from time to time and check it out. YMMV.

[Strategic]

Be careful in these sections and check the guides, there are a number of "no camping" areas that are well patrolled and the rangers will roust you out if they find you there. This goes especially for the area around Sunfish Pond (except for the Backpacker #2 site just south of the Pond, but it's dry and almost to DWG anyway) where camping is strictly forbidden. If you want to get further south than Rattlesnake Mountain before you camp, try the area around and just south of Catfish Fire Tower. There are several excellent campsites along the east side of the ridge with great views across the valley. You can get water at Rattlesnake Spring (just north of the fire tower) so you won't have to carry too much from the start.

Addendum: seems great minds think alike, as I finally followed Tinker's photo link and he's suggesting Catfish FT as well. Also, be aware that what Jersey Joe says is quite correct; this is an area with a very high and active bear population. Be sure to hang your food or it will likely end up in a bear instead of in you (and hiking hungry really sucks!)

[Panzer1]

The last time I was up at that fire tower a day hiker had their gear bag ripped apart by a bear while they were up the tower. The bear chewed up everything in the bag. Watch out for the bears.

Panzer

[ERNMAN]

I was just up at Sunfish pond yesterday.The backpacking campsite has had a fire. Is is burnt down from the backpack camping all the way to sunfish pond. I would consider Mohican center for camping and water. Then you have a days hike to the DWG....

[soulslosher]

Oh wow.. Thanks for that tip, Ernman. So the fire stretched from the grassy campsite where the houses used to be all the way down to Sunfish Pond? That's a pretty good distance and includes the Catfish Pond area mentioned above for possible camping.. Was this area totally destroyed or what? I hike for several reasons; one is scenery. No sense in hiking this section if the scenery has been burnt. I could just start at the DWG and hike west into PA for some distance...

[ERNMAN]

The fire burnt the ridge from the backpackers campground to the edge of sunfish pond. It burnt the west side on the trail. The east side is untouched. As far as scenary, there isn t much in that section to begin with. Just rocks and trees. North of sunfish pond it gets better. South of Blue Mt. Lake rd. I found very interesting. The views off the cliffs were very nice. also the area by Catfish fire tower and Rattlesnake Mt. has something to offer.
Its just maybe 10-15 mins of burnt woods, I would still do this area. Water is scarce. You have Sunfish pond and 5 miles later you have a nice creek by the Del water gap.... thats it. I found going north to south a much better hike. I dont do well climbing. Have fun and PM me if you need anything...

[jersey joe]

Oh wow.. Thanks for that tip, Ernman. So the fire stretched from the grassy campsite where the houses used to be all the way down to Sunfish Pond? That's a pretty good distance and includes the Catfish Pond area mentioned above for possible camping.. Was this area totally destroyed or what? I hike for several reasons; one is scenery. No sense in hiking this section if the scenery has been burnt. I could just start at the DWG and hike west into PA for some distance...

Just to clarify...what soulslosher is saying is that the fire is SOUTH of sunfish pond. Ernman is thinking that the fire is north of sunfish pond for many miles, this is not the case. Just a small area south of sunfish pond and north of the campsite(this campsite is about a mile south of sunfish pond).

[ERNMAN]

I did not say that...I said...

I was just up at Sunfish pond yesterday.The backpacking campsite has had a fire. Is is burnt down from the backpack camping all the way to sunfish pond. I would consider Mohican center for camping and water. Then you have a days hike to the DWG....
scroll back and read.....

[soulslosher]

I thought the campsite he mentioned was the grassy one where the houses used to be between Culver's Gap and Millbrook-Blairstown Rd.. But apparently there's another campsite closer to Sunfish Pond.. Ernman were you referring to the one closer to the Sunfish Pond? I think that site has an actual caretaker?

[jersey joe]

I did not say that...I said...

I was just up at Sunfish pond yesterday.The backpacking campsite has had a fire. Is is burnt down from the backpack camping all the way to sunfish pond. I would consider Mohican center for camping and water. Then you have a days hike to the DWG....
scroll back and read.....

Sorry, I swapped your names in my reply. soulslosher was way off on where he thought the backpacking campsite was, just trying to help, sorry for switching your names.

[Tinker]

The last time I was up at that fire tower a day hiker had their gear bag ripped apart by a bear while they were up the tower. The bear chewed up everything in the bag. Watch out for the bears.

Panzer

That was the Culver Gap fire tower. We had no problems with bears at Catfish fire tower.
(Btw: Chatter and I were the ones who cleaned up after the [assumed] dayhikers). They had a gym bag which had been torn apart and applesauce containers had tooth marks in them (and were well licked out ). That's where we met Panzer.

[soulslosher]

Hey everyone. Just got back from my section hike! I ended up choosing to get on at Millbrook-Blairstown Road and hike to Culver's Gap. Absolutely gorgeous! Just a wee bit rocky though. Even had to use my hands on a rock scramble! Spent night at Brink Road Shelter. Spiffy new privy, I might add.. Spent the night with a very cool NJ ridge-runner and even met a NOBO (started late and will flipflop). Thanks for everyone's help!