Mount Tammany Loop

Mount Tammany rises 1,527 feet directly above the Delaware Water Gap, the dramatic river breach where the Delaware cuts through Kittatinny Ridge, and its Red Dot Trail ascent is one of the steepest and most exhilarating short climbs in New Jersey. The 3.5-mile loop ascends via the red-blazed trail up Tammany's south face, climbing 1,200 feet in under 1.5 miles through exposed rock scrambles with continuous views south across the Gap. The final approach to the summit involves genuine hands-on scrambling on quartzite slabs polished smooth by glaciers and worn further by millions of hiking boots since the national recreation area opened in 1965. From the summit the Delaware River appears as a silver ribbon threading through the Gap 1,500 feet below, with the twin slopes of Mount Minsi in Pennsylvania directly across the river. The AT corridor, I-80 bridge, and the village of Delaware Water Gap are all visible from the rocky summit. The descent follows the blue-blazed trail down the north ridge through forest, less dramatic but gentler on knees after the steep ascent. Mount Tammany is named for Lenape chief Tamanend, whose people inhabited the Delaware Valley for thousands of years before European contact. The mountain is one of New Jersey's most visited hiking destinations and draws particularly heavy crowds on autumn weekends.