Damage assessment and clean-up are progressing more quickly than expected at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area announced Park Superintendent John J. Donahue this morning. The damage to park facilities caused by Hurricane Irene just over a week ago was extensive and widespread, but park employees, with the assistance of National Park Service staff members from Acadia, Chatahoochie and Shenandoah National Parks, The Olmstead Center for Landscape Preservation, the National Capitol Regional Office, and the Northeast Regional Office began opening some park roads and facilities today.
Park roads and facilities re-opening today include:
ROADS:
* River Road
* Old Mine Road from Worthington State Forest to Millbrook Village
* Route 602
RIVER and TRAILS:
* Raymondskill Falls and Cliff Park Trails
* McDade Recreational Trail is open with the exception of a section between Pittman and Conashaugh Trailheads
* The Delaware River Corridor
FACILITIES:
* Kittatinny Point Visitor Center and Picnic Area
* Milford and Smithfield Beaches will be open for picnicking only
* Milford, Bushkill, Dingmans, Eshback, and Smithfield Beach Canoe and Boat Accesses
* Hialeah Picnic Area
Maintenance crews are still working in many areas of the park to assess damage and cleanup after Irene as quickly as possible, but some facilities will remain closed indefinitely until repairs can be made. Popular destinations such as Millbrook Village, Dingmans Falls, and Kittatinny Point Canoe Access are among those what will remain
closed until conditions are safe for visitor access. In addition to protecting the park's natural, cultural and recreational resources, employee and visitor safety is a top priority.
Updated information will also be posted on the park's website, www.nps.gov/dewa, on www.facebook.com/DelWaterGapNPS, and www.twitter.com/DelWaterGapNPS.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
