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Nearby Points of Interest
Nearby Points of Interest
Explore The Delaware Canal, Discover Nearby Attractions
As you explore different sections of the Delaware Canal, you might want to visit nearby points of interest. We’ve assembled a list for you, grouped by region.
Nearby Points of Interest
As you explore different sections of the Delaware Canal, you might want to visit nearby points of interest.
We’ve assembled a list for you, grouped by region.
Delaware and Raritan Canal
National Heritage Corridor
Delaware and Lehigh
National Heritage Corridor
Upper Bucks County
Durham Furnace / Durham Mill
Durham Township, Bucks County, PA
The Durham Mill is typical of early 19th-century gristmills in eastern Pennsylvania. The three-story stone building was built in 1820 on the foundation walls of the historic Durham Furnace. The furnace, dating from 1727, had produced pig and bar iron as well as cast-iron pans, utensils and stove plates for nearly 70 years. The mill was in continuous operation until 1967, producing primarily livestock feed in its later years. Note: The building is not open to the public.
Erwin-Stover House
Erwinna, PA
This 1800 Federal-style home in Tinicum Park has additions from 1840 and 1860 and was nominated as a National Historic Place. Features of the Federal and Victorian eras are preserved in both the interior and exterior architectural style. Now operated as a house museum by the Bucks County Parks and Recreation Department, the site contains artifacts and furnishings representative of the times in habitation.
Fish Passageway
Easton, PA
The American shad is a migratory fish that makes its way each spring from the ocean up the Delaware River and into its tributaries to spawn. At the confluence of the Delaware and Lehigh Rivers in Easton, two dams vital to the Delaware & Lehigh canal systems block the shads’ access to the Lehigh River. To help the shad reach their native spawning grounds, two fish passageways maintained by Delaware Canal State Park staff allow the fish to navigate upstream through a series of chambers, around the dams, and up the Lehigh River.
These “ladders” allow the fish to navigate upstream, through a series of chambers, around the dams, and on to spawning grounds in the Lehigh River as far north as the Frances Walter Dam. The passageways effectively counterbalance the negative environmental effect of the manmade structures while maintaining the historic nature of the canal corridor.
Visitors to the Easton fish passageway can view the chambers within the structure from walkways above water level. Migrating fish can be seen through windows built into the ladder below water level. “Crowder” structures direct shad and other fish closer to the windows where they can be seen and counted by monitor cameras. In 1996, 1,200 American shad were counted at this ladder.
Giving Pond
Tinicum Township, PA
One of the newest additions to Delaware Canal State Park, the Giving Pond Recreation Area provides opportunities for hiking, fishing, bowhunting, boating, and bird watching. Formerly the site of a quarry and sand mine, the 90-acre Giving Pond was created in 2002 when mining operations ceased and the sand pit filled with water. Giving Pond offers a unique opportunity to watch the forces of nature at work as this impacted site slowly returns to the wild.
The park staff conducts canoe paddles, teaches canoe basics, and discusses pond wildlife around the Giving Pond.
National Canal Museum
Easton, PA
America’s canal heritage is displayed at the National Canal Museum with interactive audio and video exhibits on transportation in the early 1800s. Visitors can explore the water exhibits, learn about canal life and how canals are still relevant today, and enjoy model trains.
Nockamixon Cliffs
Kintnerville, PA
These sheer cliffs tower 300 feet above the Delaware River and dominate the landscape. Because the cliffs face north, they receive little direct sunlight. This cool habitat supports analpine-arctic plant community unusual this far south. Made of tough, weather-resistant rock called hornfel, Nockamixon Cliffs resisted erosion, allowing them to “rise” above the surrounding landscape. Nockamixon Cliffs also provides scenic beauty as ice flows from its deep ravines, creating an ice palace spectacle in winter. More than 90 species of birds inhabit the cliffs, which historically have been used by the peregrine falcon and osprey, creating an excellent location for bird watching from either the top or bottom of this sheer ledge.
Nockamixon Cliffs attract ice climbers when the temperature drops below 32 degrees. Climbing is not allowed when the cliffs are not ice-covered since the rock face is home to endangered species of alpine plants.
NOTICE: The Delaware Canal State park has CLOSED most of the Nockamixon Cliffs site to ALL ACTIVITY from February 1 until July 31 to protect an endangered species nesting there.
Prahl’s Island
Point Pleasant, PA
The island is undeveloped county park land located 1 mile north of Point Pleasant on the Delaware River. Access is by boat or canoe only.
Ralph Stover State Park / High Rocks
Point Pleasant, PA
Tohickon Creek flows through the 45-acre Ralph Stover State Park. The High Rocks section of the park features an outstanding view of a horseshoe bend in Tohickon Creek and the surrounding forest. This area is popular for its spectacular views and geological features and is used extensively as a rock-climbing site. The 200-foot sheer rock face of this cliff offers a unique challenge to the experienced climber.
Fishing, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, and other recreational activities are available.
Ringing Rocks Park
Upper Black Eddy, PA
Within this 120-plus-acre park is an 8-acre field of huge reddish boulders with an unusual property. When the rocks are struck with a hammer or another rock, they create musical sounds as if they are metal and hollow, making the park a great place for a family outing. The boulders have a high content of iron and aluminum and were formed by the slow process of weathering and erosion. The park, with Bucks County’s largest waterfall and woodland trails, is a powerful draw for geologists, hikers, walkers, bikers, backpackers and picnickers.
Theodore Roosevelt Recreation Area
Near Raubsville, Northampton County, PA
This Delaware River boat access site is for canoes or very small boats. The area includes restrooms, parking, picnic areas, boat access, Locks 22-23, Locktender’s House, wicket shanty, and powerhouse that produced electricity until 1954.
Tinicum Park
Erwinna, PA
This 126-acre park and historic site offers day activities including hiking, boating, biking, ball fields, ice skating, fishing, playgrounds, picnicking and a disk golf course, as well as group and family camping. The park is framed by the river on one side and a steep hillside on the other. Rich in Bucks County history, the area was previously owned by William Penn as part of his land grant from the King of England.
Tinicum Park Polo Club
Erwinna, PA
In cooperation with the Bucks County Department of Parks and Recreation, polo matches are held every Saturday at 2 p.m. in Tinicum Park from mid-May through mid-October. Parking fee is $10 per car. For further information, call the Tinicum Park Polo Club Hotline, 908-996-3321.
Tohickon Valley Park
North of Point Pleasant, PA
The Tohickon Creek is reputed to be one of the cleanest in the state. High water quality is evidenced by several rare species including riverweed (a higher plant able to attach itself to rocks through fast-moving water), a river sponge and several species of freshwater mussels (not the harmful kind).
The park is a favorite for picnicking, hiking, swimming and fishing and has 22 family or individual campsites and two group camping areas within walking distance of the creek. Uphill from the cabins and nearby to the campground is Tohickon Valley Pool, open Memorial Day through Labor Day.
The cabins and campgrounds are a favorite during the well-known water releases in late March and early November. For two days, water flows from Lake Nockamixon at a rate of 500 cubic feet/second, turning the quiet Tohickon Creek into a raging class 3 & 4 whitewater playground.
Wy-Hit-Tuk Park
Williams Township, Northampton County
This 23-acre community park along the Delaware Canal has a picnic pavilion, playground, ball field, organized group camping (by permit only), hiking trails, and canoeing.
Central Bucks County
Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve
New Hope, PA
The 134-acre Preserve features nearly 1,000 species of plants native to Pennsylvania and offers a place to walk in a peaceful, natural setting. The preserve is a popular place for bird watching, quiet meditation, photography and more. Visitors can meander through woodlands, meadow and streamside or perhaps catch a glimpse of turtles and frogs in the pond.
Hendrick Island Natural Area
Center Bridge, PA
One of the largest of 11 protected river island natural areas, Hendrick Island was carved out of the Delaware River shoreline. Also known as “Island Farm,” the island once held a farm, sawmill and farmhouse. The buildings were destroyed in a 1955 flood, but the island is protected by Delaware Canal State Park for its natural and archaeological significance.
The 112-acre island supports a large deciduous forest, despite its somewhat sandy soil. Wildlife includes deer, which occasionally swim to the island, and squirrels. The shoreline is generally rocky, especially along the eastern coast and northern tip, and populated by several species of fish and water snakes.
Uncommon among the islands of the Delaware, Hendrick Island has quite varied topography. The center of the island is about 15 feet above the normal height of the river. As a result, there are two distinct ecological areas on the island: a flat, frequently submerged riparian habitat along the shore and a deciduous forest habitat farther inland, typical of the terrain in the surrounding areas of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Locktender’s House
New Hope, PA
For 100 years, beginning in 1832, sure-footed mules towed boats loaded with coal and other cargo along the Delaware Canal. The Locktender’s House, at Lock 11 at the Canal Boat Ride Landing, serves as the first interpretive center within Delaware Canal State Park and as headquarters for the Friends of the Delaware Canal. The restored early 9th-century house illustrates “Life at the Lock” and canal history through exhibits, artifacts and restoration details.
Boats can’t go uphill or down, so canal engineers installed 23 locks on the 60-mile-long Delaware Canal to raise and lower boats onto stretches of level water. At the recently restored Lock 11, visitors can learn how the locks work and appreciate the waterway’s role as one of the nation’s great towpath canals. Visitors also can ride a mule-drawn canal boat which leaves from the Canal Boat Ride Landing. The Locktender’s House is open year-round.
New Hope and Ivyland Railroad
New Hope, PA
Visitors can travel through the rolling hills and valleys of Bucks County in restored 1920s vintage passenger coaches and an antique bar car pulled by an authentic steam locomotive or a historic diesel locomotive. The train takes the same route that was filmed in the 1914 movie series The Perils of Pauline. The train station has been in operation since 1891.
Parry Mansion
New Hope, PA
The Parry Mansion was built in 1784 by Benjamin Parry, one of New Hope’s prominent citizens. It was occupied by Benjamin Parry’s direct descendants until it was purchased by the New Hope Historical Society in 1966.
The furnishings of the eight rooms reflect 125 years of decorative changes experienced by the Parry family. Each room represents a different time period during which the Parrys occupied the mansion.
Tour guides offer historical information along with stories that have been passed through generations.
Phillips Mill
New Hope, PA
Phillips Mill was built in 1756 by Aaron Phillips as a water-powered grist mill. It also served as an informal community center for the local farmers and their families. Three generations of the family lived on the property prior to the purchase of the mill and adjoining farm in 1894 by Dr. George Morley Marshall. The farmhouse became the home of Dr. Marshall’s friend, artist William Lathrop. His home, the mill, and their accessory buildings emerged as the intellectual center of a well-known community of artists. Besides Lathrop, artists such as Daniel Garber, Edward Redfield, John Folinsbee, and Walter Schofield, together with their lesser-known contemporaries, Fern Coppedge, Walter Baum and Clarence Johnson, formed the New Hope School. The New Hope group exhibited together in the United States and Europe, most notably between 1916 and 1918.
The Phillips Mill Community Association organizes several art, photography and theater exhibitions throughout the year.
Thompson-Neely Grist Mill
Washington Crossing, PA
This restored, water-powered mill was built in the 1830s by the Neely family. The original mill, constructed nearly a century earlier, was located approximately 100 yards downstream from the present mill. The gristmill is open for tours by appointment.
Thompson-Neely House
Washington Crossing, PA
This house is an example of early 18th-century colonial architecture. In 1776, the home of Robert and Hannah Thompson on Pidcock Creek served as a temporary hospital, sheltering American soldiers suffering from wounds and disease. Two notable patients and patriots, James Monroe and General Washington’s cousin William Washington, convalesced here after the Battle of Trenton, a turning point of the Revolutionary War.
Nearby stand the Thompson-Neely Barn and various outbuildings, all of which are open seasonally for tours.
Virginia Forrest Recreation Area
Solebury Township, PA
The Virginia Forrest Recreation Area is an ideal starting point for biking along the Delaware Canal towpath and for rides that use the towpath to reach back roads with no public parking nearby. Located on Route 32 just north of Center Bridge, the recreation area has a few picnic tables, restrooms, and a large parking.
The Pennsylvania part of this ride goes north along the towpath to the town of Lumberville, where it turns onto Fleecydale Road — a favorite with cyclists — for a gentle climb to the town of Carversville. In New Jersey, the route goes south to Lambertville, where it turns inland. Like Fleecydale, Alexauken Road provides an easy and pretty climb out of the river valley.
Lower Bucks County
Bristol Lagoon
Bristol, PA
A public-private partnership project involving over 275 volunteers has reestablished the Bristol Lagoon as a beautiful park that serves both canal visitors and the local community. The gazebo, a popular setting for wedding photos in the early 1900s, has been restored to its former glory by a local artist.
Bristol Marsh
Bristol, PA
Freshwater tidal marshes were never widespread in the mid-Atlantic region, occurring mainly along the banks of large rivers such as the Delaware and its tributaries. Since the arrival of William Penn, these fragile yet highly productive habitats have been all but eliminated by riverfront development. Bristol Marsh is the best remaining example of this vanishing natural community in Pennsylvania.
Although the marsh is small and surrounded by commercial development, six rare plants native to the Delaware River tidal marshes thrive here. Dependent on daily tidal flushing, these highly specialized wetland plants — including Indian wild rice, Walter’s barnyard grass, waterhemp ragweed, and two species of arrowhead — have been nearly extirpated from Pennsylvania. Now these and other important components of the plant community are protected, and the marsh ecosystem continues to function as a nursery, pollution filter, and water purifier for the Delaware River.
The marsh is also an isolated haven for wildlife, including many migratory waterfowl. This preserve, so close to major population centers, provides an ideal opportunity for increased public education and awareness of the critical importance of wetland habitats.
Bristol Wharf
Bristol, PA
The summer months are filled with many festivals and numerous free concerts, including Celtic Day, African-American Day, Italian Day, and Puerto Rican Day, all held at the Bristol Lions Park and Wharf along the Delaware River.
Churchville Nature Center
Churchville, PA
A facility of the Bucks County Department of Parks and Recreation, this area is rich with diverse environments: meadow, marsh, woodland, pond and lake. People of all ages are welcome to study, explore and contemplate.
A full range of environmental programs are offered for school classes as well as scout groups. Public programs include bird walks, campfire programs, children’s clubs and a wide variety of outings and field trips.
Core Creek County Park
Langhorne, PA
Core Creek Park has 1,200 acres of public land, including Lake Luxembourg, featuring hiking trails with lakeside and streamside views. Some trails also accommodate bicycling and horse riding. The park has varied wildlife habitat including white-tailed deer, waterfowl, wading birds, song birds and migrating birds. Fishing is abundant on Lake Luxembourg: bass, walleye, catfish, bluegill, carp and other native species. Boats are limited to those powered by electric motors. Recreational boating includes wind surfing, sail boating, canoeing and row boating.
Five Mile Woods
Lower Makefield Township, PA
Five Mile Woods was preserved due to its environmental uniqueness. Straddling the fall line (the geological divide between the Coastal Plain and the Piedmont Plateau regions), the plant community of the woods represents a unique blend of the two divergent ecosystems. Five Mile Woods was dedicated as a nature preserve by Lower Makefield Township. Pets and bikes are not permitted.
Margaret R. Grundy Museum
Bristol, PA
Established according to the wishes of the late Sen. Joseph R. Grundy, this former Grundy residence is dedicated to the memory of his sister, Margaret. Overlooking the Delaware River, the house is an outstanding example of a fine Victorian residence. The Margaret R. Grundy Library, located nearby, can also be explored.
All tours are guided and take about 30 minutes. Groups are welcome. Large groups will be divided into smaller groups of 12 to 14 people for the house tour.
Historic Fallsington
Fallsington, PA
A seat of early Quaker settlement and site of four meetinghouses, Fallsington is the pre-Revolutionary village where William Penn worshipped. Guided tours focus on historic architecture, furnishings, material culture, and local history. Fallsington is home to culturally significant architectural styles representing the 17th through 20th centuries.
Lake Afton
Yardley, PA
This manmade pond in downtown Yardley, at Main Street and Afton Avenue, has its own duck population and offers year-round enjoyment, with fishing during the warmer months and ice skating in winter. The lake was first noted in a deed dated 1713, and mentioned in Benjamin Franklin’s Pennsylvania Gazette in 1731. As part of a system of dams, ponds and canals, it provided water to run grist and saw mills. It has been maintained since early 1970s by the Friends of Lake Afton.
Old Library by Lake Afton
Yardley, PA
The Old Library by Lake Afton, built in the Gothic Revival style of the Victorian era, was completed in 1878. Its arched windows lead many to think that the building was once a church, but it was always the community library. It was acquired by the Yardley Historical Association in 1977 and houses a collection of photographs, newspapers, books, and ephemera related to local history. The library is available for weddings, receptions, and other private events. Space is limited to 55 persons.
Pennsbury Manor
Morrisville, PA
The manor is the re-created country home of William Penn. The construction of the original manor was an expression of Penn’s belief that life in the country was more wholesome than in the worldly atmosphere of crowded cities. Pennsbury Manor is permeated with the spirit of this historical humanitarian, and it gives the visitor a sense of the unhurried grace and charm of those years when Pennsylvania was William Penn’s “Holy Experiment.”
Radcliffe Street Historic District
Bristol, PA
During the mid 1800s, the wealthy and prominent citizens of Bristol built their houses along Radcliffe Street. Upper-class residences, many of which were constructed during the period of the canal boom, are concentrated between Market and Walnut streets. Significant examples include the 2 ½-story stuccoed brick house built in 1831 for Thomas G. Kennedy, superintendent of the Delaware Division of the Pennsylvania Canal; William Kinsey’s c. 1834 three-story Greek Revival style brick townhouse; Kinsey’s three-story frame Greek Revival style double house; and the two Greek Revival-style frame houses built about 1847 for Charles Pierce and Dr. Augustus Guerard.
The owners and managers of the town’s mills and factories built a number of magnificent residences, almost all located along Radcliffe Street, in the last decades of the 19th century. These include the William H. Grundy House, the 1884 Leedom-Pursell House, the John Dorrance House, the 1894 Horace Trumbauer-designed Leopold Landreth House, the Frank Bell House, and the c. 1868 Joshua Pierce House. All exemplify the high-style architecture built by Bristol’s economic and social elite during the decades after the Civil War.
Other significant buildings erected during this period include the 1869 St. Mark’s Roman Catholic Church, the 1877 St. James Protestant Episcopal Church Parish House at the east corner of Walnut and Wood Streets, S.A. Brouse’s 1894 Bristol High School Building at the north corner of Mulberry and Wood streets, and the altered 1895 Methodist Episcopal Church at the east corner of Mulberry and Wilson streets.
Riverfront Park
Bristol, PA
This is the gateway park to historic Bristol Borough on the riverfront at the lower end of the Bristol Historic District. Numerous community events are held here throughout the year, and the Bristol Riverside Theatre is located nearby.
Silver Lake Nature Center / Delhaas Woods
Bristol, PA
Silver Lake Nature Center is a 253-acre complex within the Mill Creek Valley Park system where lush foliage, accessible wetlands and rich woodlands abound. Rare and threatened animal and plant species like the red belly turtle, southern leopard frog, and the maryland meadow beauty can be found here.
The park’s lake is the terminus of the Mill Creek, Queen Anne Creek and the Black Ditch Creek Watershed. Because it contains the best-protected Coastal Plain woodland remaining in the state, the center is unique to Pennsylvania.
Across the street, and managed as a part of the center is Delhaas Woods. This 170-acre park has several miles of walking trails passing through rare Pennsylvania habitats and near-rare Pennsylvania plant species. Open sunrise to sunset.
Summerseat
Morrisville, PA
Summerseat was erected in 1773 by Thomas Barclay, a Philadelphia merchant. George Washington established his headquarters here Dec. 8–14, 1776. Later owners were George Clymer and Robert Morris, both signers of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. Summerseat is a stately, two-story, brick and stone Georgian structure. In the latter years of the 20th century, the house was acquired by the Morrisville School District, and basketball was played on the second floor. Today, Summerseat is owned and maintained by the Historic Morrisville Society. It is open to the public on a restricted basis.
Tyler State Park
Newtown, PA
Tyler State Park consists of 1,711 acres of park roads, trails, and facilities nestled within an original farm and woodland setting. Neshaminy Creek meanders through the park, dividing the land into several sections.
Summer recreational opportunities include hiking, fishing, disc golf, boating, picnicking and an overnight hostel. Winter activities include ice skating, ice fishing, sledding, tobogganing, and cross-country skiing.
Washington Crossing Historic Park
Washington Crossing, PA
Washington Crossing Historic Park was founded in 1917 to perpetuate and preserve the site from which the Continental Army crossed the Delaware River under George Washington’s leadership. Thousands of people visit the park annually to take tours, see exhibits and participate in special events. The spirit of the 1776 Crossing is re-created every year on Christmas Day with the annual reenactment of Washington Crossing the Delaware.
The park also preserves and interprets the early 19th-century history of Taylorsville, the area in which the crossing of the Delaware occurred. This small ferry crossing of the 18th century developed into a quintessential village of the next era, reflecting progress, American ideals and the new industrial age.
New Jersey
Bull’s Island, Delaware and Raritan Canal
State Park
Near Stockton, NJ
This 24 -acre natural area comprises a portion of a small, forested island surrounded by the Delaware River and the Delaware and Raritan Canal. A trail along the canal towpath reveals a lowland floodplain forest dominated by sycamore, silver maple and tulip poplar. Several rare plant species are found in this natural area. Sixty-nine tent and trailer campsites are available with fire rings, picnic tables, flush toilets and showers.
Holcombe-Jimison Farmstead
Lambertville, NJ
The Holcombe-Jimison Farmstead Museum is dedicated to the preservation of Hunterdon County’s rich and diverse agricultural heritage from the 18th into the 20th centuries. The museum property also includes outbuildings for the post office, blacksmith shop, carriage shed and print shop.
The museum is housed in the restored three-story bank barn that was built into the hillside to make both floors accessible from ground level. Livestock were kept on the lower level, crops above. Exhibits include farm tools and equipment, domestic chores such as preparing/preserving food and making clothing.
Marshall House
Lambertville, NJ
The Marshall House, on the National and New Jersey Registers of Historic Places, was the boyhood home of James Wilson Marshall, who discovered gold in California in 1848. It is now the headquarters of the Lambertville Historical Society. The Federal brick structure was built in 1816 by James’ father, Philip Marshall, a cabinet, coach and wagon maker and a member of one of New Jersey’s oldest families.
Constructed of bricks made of clay dug and fired near town, the house retains many outstanding original architectural features.
Prallsville Mill
Stockton, NJ
This mill was built by Daniel Howell at the juncture of the Wickeckeoke Creek and the Delaware River circa 1720. It prospered under a succession of owners through the 18th century and was sold to John Prall Jr. in 1794.
Prall launched a development program that included a new stone grist mill to replace the wooden one Howell had built. He also built a saw mill, several stone houses and a stone structure that served various purposes (including an office and a store). Prall opened a stone quarry in the area and operated two fisheries in the Delaware River, making the community of Prallsville a major commercial center for the rural countryside.
The present stone mill was built in 1877 on the foundation of Prall’s mill and continued to function commercially into the 1950s.
Steamboat Floating Classroom
Lambertville, NJ
The steam whistle blows … and an authentic replica of an 1880 sternwheeler takes your group on a unique, 2-mile voyage of adventure on the Delaware River. An onboard docent shares the history of the New Hope-Lambertville area, including the vital role of the area canals in our nation’s industrial revolution.
The boat sails from Lambertville (just south of the Inn at Lambertville Station, in the D&R Canal State Park).
Washington Crossing State Park
Washington Crossing, NJ
Originally preserved for its historical significance related to the Continental Army’s crossing of the Delaware, the park is also well known for its trails and wildlife habitat. A wide variety of migrating birds use the stream and ravine as a resting place and for nesting. Many bird species winter in the park, creating a perfect location for bird observation year-round.
The park supports an assortment of plants including mixed hardwoods, red cedar forests, plantings of Eastern white pine, Japanese larch, Norway spruce and red pine. variety of spring and summer wildflowers can be found throughout the park. Among the most notable species of wildlife are whitetail deer, fox, raccoon, great-horned owl, screech owl, red-tailed hawk, red-shouldered hawk and Eastern bluebird. The park also is popular for picnicking and, in the winter, for cross-country skiing on existing hiking trails.
An open-air theater also operates from June through August.