Winter Hiking the Incredible Van Campens Glen

During the summer, Van Campens Glen in the Delaware Water Gap is one of the park’s more popular hikes, thanks to the abundance of waterfalls along an easy trail. In the winter, however, the trail is nearly always empty. This is partly because the only road to and from the waterfalls is closed. However, those willing to put a little more effort into visiting are greeted with a handful of incredible, seldom-seen frozen waterfalls in the scenic glen. Continue reading to learn how to access these scenic waterfalls in the winter.

Background

The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is a large National Park located along the Delaware River in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania. In New Jersey, the park stretches from the area of Interstate 80 at the Delaware River and continues north just short of the New York border. The park is best known for the Delaware Water Gap itself, a large geologic formation where the Delaware River cuts through the Kittatinny Mountains. This formation creates Mount Minsi in Pennsylvania and Mount Tammany in New Jersey. The park is most popular for hiking and water activities on the Delaware River.

The National Recreation Area was created after the proposed damming of the Delaware River at Tocks Island, a small island upstream of the Delaware Water Gap itself. The dam would have flooded the valley, prompting the federal government to force residents out through eminent domain. About 15,000 residents were relocated, and many buildings were demolished. As you travel through the park, you will see many abandoned buildings that were left behind when the government bought the land. One such building can be seen on the road walk on Old Mine Road.

The winter parking area is located in Millbrook Village. The village is based on life in the 1800s. While Millbrook Village was a real community, the present area is composed mostly of historic structures relocated to make way for the dam. Only a handful of buildings in the village today were present in their current location in the 1800s.

Van Campens Glen was named after the prominent Van Campen family of the 1800s. Directly south of Van Campens Glen along Old Mine Road are the remains of the Van Campens Farmstead. It features the homes of multiple family members, including Abraham Van Campen and Benjamin B. Van Campen.

The Hike

The hike to Van Campens Glen is 4.65 miles and is generally easy. Most of the hike takes place on the closed Old Mine Road. The area surrounding the waterfall features several gentle hills and a few sections of steps. Under most conditions, this trail is easy, but it may become icy after warm weather melts the snow it refreezes.

Parking

During the warmer months, hikers can park at one of two parking areas: one at the top of the Van Campens Glen Trail and one at the bottom. During the winter, Old Mine Road, the only road accessing these parking areas, is closed. To reach the waterfalls, hikers instead need to park at Millbrook Village and hike along the closed road to reach the trail.

Beginning the Hike

Begin from Millbrook Village and walk towards the closed Old Mine Road. Walk around the gate and begin the road walk. I personally prefer loop trails, and I find hiking upstream in the glen much more enjoyable, as you can see the waterfalls ahead. For this reason, I recommend hiking past the upper parking area to the lower parking area and beginning the trail there. If you prefer, you can do an out-and-back hike by entering the glen from the upper parking area.

If you begin the trail from the lower parking lot as recommended, you will need to stay on Old Mine Road for just over two miles. These are not the most interesting two miles, but there are a couple of sites to break up the monotony, including an abandoned building about halfway through. As you get closer to the trail, you will also be able to hear the sound of water tumbling down.

After those two miles, you will see a large sign directing cars down to the Van Campens Glen Recreation Site. Turn here, where you will finally begin the main hike.

Van Campens Glen Trail

The trail becomes far more interesting once you leave Old Mine Road. From the closed parking lot, locate the obvious, yellow-blazed trail behind the directory to begin. The first part of the hike hugs Van Campens Brook and offers multiple scenic views of it.

After about a quarter mile, you will reach a set of stone stairs and the first waterfall.

Lower Van Campens Falls

Lower Van Campens Falls is, in my opinion, the most underrated waterfall in New Jersey. While most hikers visit solely for the main Van Campens Falls, I think the lower falls are actually slightly superior, though both are excellent.

The best view of the waterfall is about halfway up the aforementioned steps, where there is a small landing before the steps continue. Here, you have a clear, head-on view of the waterfall, albeit from a distance. The trail loops around, and you can take a small, unmarked trail to the top of the falls, but it is far less impressive from this point.

From Lower Van Campens Falls, continue to follow the obvious Yellow Trail. Along the way, the trail features a few rolling hills and some more steps. After about a quarter mile, you will cross a bridge over Van Campens Brook. A few hundred feet after crossing the bridge, you will reach Van Campens Falls.

Van Campens Falls

At 25 feet tall, Van Campens Falls is the tallest waterfall on the trail and arguably the most dramatic. The waterfall is split into two tiers: the upper tier is a near-vertical cascade, and the lower tier is a long, gentle slide into a large pool. The large pool creates an amphitheater-like area to view the waterfall.

The trail wraps its way around the pool before ascending to the right side of the cascade. Flat rocks allow hikers to get closer to the cascade from the trail for those wanting a closer look.

Atop Van Campens Falls, Van Campens Brook flows through a narrow glen. Through this area, the trail is well above the glen, and you will need to look below to see the next few waterfalls. During the summer, it is possible to climb into the glen to see some of the waterfalls closer, but I do not recommend this in the winter due to potential ice.

Upper Van Campens Falls

Upper Van Campens Falls is a small, hidden waterfall just above Van Campens Falls. It is possible to view it by carefully hiking along the edge of the cliff above the waterfall, but it is difficult to get a clear view.

Due to the relative challenge to view compared to the rest of the waterfalls on this hike, Upper Van Campens Falls is easily the most underwhelming.

Unnamed Waterfall on Van Campens Brook 1

A short distance upstream of Upper Van Campens Falls is the first of two notable, yet unnamed, waterfalls. This is the waterfall that shows the biggest difference between winter and summer, as it is much more impressive when you can hike into the glen and be level with the cascade.

From above the waterfall appears much smaller than in reality, but it is still a scenic cascade.

Unnamed Waterfall on Van Campens Brook 2

The final waterfall in the glen is another relatively hidden cascade. Just after the previous waterfall, the trail briefly levels out with the stream. At this point, there is a clearing where you can walk to the streambank. If you look upstream, you will see the final waterfall.

This is the best spot to view the waterfall, which lies just below an overhang. The trail passes directly above it, severely limiting the view. There is a ledge below this overhang to allow you to get closer to the waterfall. During the summer, it is fairly easy to get closer to the waterfall via this ledge, but due to ice, I did not attempt to get closer this time.

The Return Hike

From the waterfall, continue on the Van Campens Glen Trail for another quarter mile. The trail here heads uphill and, unfortunately, leaves the brook for a bit. After a quarter mile, you will reach another bridge over Van Campens Brook. After crossing the bridge, you will reach Old Mine Road again.

From this point, hike on Old Mine Road back to your car for another 1.3 miles.

GPS Route

Review

Van Campens Glen is one of my favorite waterfall hikes in New Jersey, and it is especially impressive in winter, when the waterfalls begin to freeze. Visiting during the colder months does come with a few notable drawbacks, most significantly being that the only road leading to the trailhead is closed for the season. As a result, hikers must take a long and fairly uninteresting walk along the closed road before reaching the more scenic portion of the hike. Fortunately, since the road is closed to vehicles, there is no vehicle traffic, making it slightly more enjoyable.

Once you reach the waterfalls, the boring road walk becomes worth it. The hike offers an impressive density of waterfalls over a relatively short distance, and the glen itself is both impressive and somewhat unique within New Jersey.