Peters River Campsites — Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

The campsite in this review has two major points to express beyond the actual review.

First, this site is only accessible by canoes or kayaks. There is no public road access to the campsite. Secondly, the site is maintained by the NPS, (National Park Service) within the DWGNRA, (Delaware Water Gap National Recreational Area). People found camping at this site that are not on a river trip or camped at the site for longer than one day can expect to receive hefty fines from the NPS.

This site is a primitive campsite. There is a fire ring suitable for cooking on as well as allowing you a small fire. You will also have access to a privy style toilet a short distance in the woods behind your site.

The site itself is very nice. It is spacious enough for a medium to large group to camp at without feeling like you are on top of each other. There are 9 other sites in this group and they are all within shouting distance of one another, but have enough wooded growth between them to allow you to forget the other sites are there.

The sites are all kept clean and the NPS will come through from time to time and do repairs and/or upkeep as needed.

A short hike, approximately 10 minutes or so, will take you to the Decker Ferry House. A house that dates back more than 200 years and is rich in history. Walking 5 minutes more will find you on Old Mine Road. Old Mine Road has many amazing places that help found this country. From cemeteries, churches, houses, and military forts to abandoned towns.

Warning, this site is frequented nightly by the local wildlife. Black bear and raccoons are not shy and a hanging "bear bag" is seriously recommended. Once night falls you will also be treated to the sounds of an owl from the ledges across the river that I have yet to see, but have heard for 7 years running.

Also this year I had the pleasure of opening my eyes just after daylight and from the comfort of my hammock watching a Bald Eagle working on its nest and feeding riverside.

The section of river this site is on is well known for its catfish population and your a mere 1/2 mile up river from Big Flatbrook, a "trout stream of no mean reputation" which is full of native brook, brown, and rainbow trout.

All in all an amazing time to be had by everyone lucky enough to stop here.

This is a series of 10 sites maintained by the NPS, located on the N.J. side of the river. Like the majority of the NPS sites on the Delaware, its a first come/first camp situation.

These sites tend to fill up fairly regular. They are between 2 access points that make for a short to/from camp trip which draws more people than other places on the river. Also, listening to the "Old-Timers" in the area the S channel we are camping on is a great place to get catfish at night,(my daughter has proven this to me) and you are within shouting distance of Big Flatbrook, a "trout stream of no mean reputation" which has native brook, brown, and rainbow trout and is heavily populated in April.

These sites all have metal fire grates and are separated from one another enough to allow privacy, yet letting you hear your neighbors on the wind at night. The sites are all primitive and even though it has been said that each site has a primitive toilet, I would say its more like one area for every 2 sites,

A few of the sites are even "stepped" so to speak with a upper and lower area. The shore area is rocky and flat in the first half of the sites and dark murky mud the second half of sites. The sites also are connected to one another through a worn set of trails that makes this feel like the local campground from your childhood.

Once the crowds of the day are gone and its you and your fellow campers, you get to fully enjoy the location. Many forms of wildlife have been seen here regularly, Bald Eagles, deer, black bear, and raccoons all make appearances from time to time, the raccoons here have NO fear. If no place else on the river does, this site should require "bear-bag" packing at night. I would also like to say, for the last 5 years, many trips a year, I have been serenaded to sleep by the local owls when I stay here.