New Jersey | Delaware River / New Jersey

Delaware RiverFiremen’s Eddy / Belle Mountain DEP Access to Washington’s Crossing State Park

A bounded Lower Delaware planning reach from Firemen’s Eddy to the named Washington’s Crossing State Park access.

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Plan this route

DistanceApproximately 5.0 river miles (catalog estimate; verify actual travel distance)
DifficultyHard
Typical timePlanning estimate only: 3–5 hours depending on gage height
ShuttleCar shuttle
The Delaware River at a USGS monitoring station, used as same-river context for the New Jersey Firemen’s Eddy-to-Washington Crossing route.
Route photoDelaware River same-river context for the Firemen’s Eddy-to-Washington Crossing planning reachPhoto by U.S. Geological Survey

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Why this call
This route is documented for planning, but does not receive a Paddle Today score.
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Trip details

Access rules, camping, seasonal conditions and trip length.

Distance, difficulty, rules and camping
DifficultyhardFinish at the named New Jersey Washington Crossing access. Continuing to Scudders or Trenton introduces separate rapid and tidal-water decisions. Confirm the carry and exact landing before launching; Trenton is downstream observation context, with no transferred recreational cutoff.
PermitsCheck posted rulesCheck each launch manager’s current rules. NJDEP’s D&R park guidance requires river-launch permits from Memorial Day through Labor Day at its five listed launches, with Lambertville excepted. That does not establish identical terms at Frenchtown, Fairview, Belvidere, Phillipsburg or Trenton. River boating and the parallel canal have different rules.
CampingDay tripNo on-route camping is established by these access sources. Reserve lodging or a designated campground separately; ramps and private river banks do not grant camping rights.
SeasonMar-NovSpring through fall is the practical planning season. Check current flow, recent rain, debris, water temperature, daylight, and park alerts before every launch.

Tomorrow and the weekend

Forecasts can change. Check current conditions again before leaving.

TomorrowChecking

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Plan your trip

Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.

Access and shuttle

A bounded Lower Delaware planning reach from Firemen’s Eddy to the named Washington’s Crossing State Park access.

Access map

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Start

Put-in

D&R Canal State Park Firemen’s Eddy access

This is Lower Delaware planning, outside Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Check current access notices and the manager of each launch; do not transfer Middle Delaware campsite rules or gauge-height closure bands.

Finish

Take-out

Washington’s Crossing State Park

Coordinates are facility-area anchors. The NJDEP GPS inventory is dated October 2001; confirm present parking, carry, vehicle access, fees and waterline before staging.

Road shuttle

Access notes and hazards

Access caveats

  • This is Lower Delaware planning, outside Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Check current access notices and the manager of each launch; do not transfer Middle Delaware campsite rules or gauge-height closure bands.
  • Coordinates are facility-area anchors. The NJDEP GPS inventory is dated October 2001; confirm present parking, carry, vehicle access, fees and waterline before staging.
  • Confirm the exact New Jersey Washington Crossing primitive landing, carry, parking and current park notices before staging the shuttle.

Watch for

  • USGS 01463500 observation time and trend as regional proxy context; no local-depth or safe-flow inference
  • Current access notices, cold water, wind, wood, river traffic, daylight and shuttle arrangements

Choose your trip times

No account needed. Check the selected access points above, then choose both dates and times. For an overnight paddle, set take-out to the following date.

Trip schedule

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Water levels, gauge history, and hourly forecast

Check the forecast and local water levels before launching.

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Short-route forecast

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Data and sources

Read the access and hazard notes and check the linked guides. We do not issue a daily score for this trip.

What to know before you go

These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.

  • Approved route imageryRights-cleared same-river or same-water-trail context image

    Same-river USGS Delaware River context image; it does not depict these NJ ramps or certify current flow, access, hazards, or water temperature.

    Source

  • Lower Delaware access contextFiremen’s Eddy / Belle Mountain DEP Access to Washington’s Crossing State Park

    NPS lists these Lower Delaware facilities. This plan is outside Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area; Middle Delaware park camping rules and numeric closure bands are not transferred here. Confirm current facility terms separately.

    Source

  • Live gaugeUSGS 01463500, Delaware River at Trenton, NJ

    Trenton is downstream river-observation context. Stage is not the depth at another access and discharge is not a tide forecast. No same-day paddle score or calibrated recreational cutoff is supplied.

    Source

  • Trip boundaryFiremen’s Eddy / Belle Mountain DEP Access to Washington’s Crossing State Park

    Finish at the named New Jersey Washington Crossing access. Continuing to Scudders or Trenton introduces separate rapid and tidal-water decisions. Confirm the carry and exact landing before launching; Trenton is downstream observation context, with no transferred recreational cutoff.

    Source

  • Camping postureNo on-route camping established

    Public ramps do not grant camping rights. Arrange any lodging or designated campground separately; Middle Delaware river campsites do not establish camping along this reach.

    Source

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Delaware River paddling FAQ

What water level is best for the Firemen’s Eddy / Belle Mountain DEP Access to Washington’s Crossing State Park route on the Delaware River?

This planning route has no live Paddle Today score. Review the linked water-level sources, current access notices and route-specific hazards before travel.

Where does the Firemen’s Eddy / Belle Mountain DEP Access to Washington’s Crossing State Park route on the Delaware River start and end?

This route starts at D&R Canal State Park Firemen’s Eddy access and ends at Washington’s Crossing State Park, Approximately 5.0 river miles (catalog estimate; verify actual travel distance) on the water.

Is the Firemen’s Eddy / Belle Mountain DEP Access to Washington’s Crossing State Park route on the Delaware River suitable for beginners?

This is listed as a hard route. Review the difficulty notes, hazards and current access conditions against your group's skills. No live score assesses this trip.

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