STORY AND PHOTOS BY PAT & CHUCK BLACKLEY

OLD MINE ROAD

DRIVE THIS HISTORIC ROUTE THROUGH THE DELAWARE WATER GAP TO DISCOVER NEW JERSEY’S SCENIC SIDE.

LENGTH

104 miles

REST STOPS

Jam to jazz and sleep late at charming Deer Head Inn on the Pennsylvania side of the Gap, northwest of the Kittatinny Point Visitor Center. deerheadinn.com

Stop at the rustic Walpack Inn, established in 1949, to indulge in a lovely meal served with its famous brown bread and set against the stunning views of Walpack Valley. thewalpackinn.com

SIDE TRIPS

Coppermine Trail, a moderate to difficult 2-mile, one-way trail through the forest along streams and cascades, is part of more than 100 miles of hiking trails in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. nps.gov/dewa

Browse through the handmade items created by artists in the gallery and shop at the Peters Valley School of Craft. Or sign up for a one-day workshop to try blacksmithing, basketry, wood-working, ceramics and more. petersvalley.org

MAJESTIC VIEWS. HISTORIC SITES. Hiking trails, swimming and fishing. Old Mine Road on the New Jersey side of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area beckons you.

The 1,000-foot-deep Delaware Water Gap is the key passageway through the Appalachian Mountain range between Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Each year about 5 million visitors enjoy the Gap’s 70,000-acre national recreation area, the largest in the eastern United States.

The 104-mile Old Mine Road connects incredible fall scenery and recreation that includes hiking a section of the famous Appalachian Trail and boating, picnicking or viewing waterfalls along the Delaware River.

Begin your journey at the Kittatinny Point Visitor Center at the southern end of River Road (which soon becomes Old Mine Road going north). Drive north to Millbrook Village, a re-created farm community from the mid-1800s. With a wagon shop, general store, hotel and church, the village has plenty for visitors to see.

Continue north to take in the view from Kittatinny Mountain via Route 624 and Skyline Drive, a spectacular mountain vista. On a crisp day, fall colors paint a sea of trees as far as the horizon. It’s a welcome place to stop and stretch your legs on part of the Appalachian Trail.

Back on Old Mine Road, stop for a picnic and a swim in the river or explore more historic structures. To view additional fall color, detour from that drive and linger in Walpack Center, a small 1800s village that’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Then it’s time to link back up to Old Mine Road again for more adventure.

Historic Millbrook Village’s Methodist Episcopal Church takes visitors back in time.

Spend a peaceful day surrounded by fall’s glory at Crater Lake on Mount Kittatinny.