Upper Hornbecks Creek Trail
in New Jersey · centroid 51 mi from Allentown
One of the hidden treasures of Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is undoubtedly Hornbecks Creek. Within a hemlock ravine, multiple cascades create beautiful scenery for hikers to enjoy. After reaching the Upper Hornbecks Creek Falls, hikers should head back via the way they came to return to their cars.
The trail between the upper and lower falls does not connect due to slope destabilization. The lower waterfall may be accessed from the trailhead on Route 209 (see Lower Hornbecks Creek Trail).
- States
- New Jersey
- Trail type
- National Recreation Area trail
- Centroid nearest city
- Allentown, PA · 51 mi · ~1.5 hr drive
- Centroid coords
- 41.1955°, -74.9100°
About Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
This trail is inside Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, a national recreation area managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.
Entrance fee: $10 per vehicle (verify current rate on the park page). An America the Beautiful annual pass ($80) covers entrance to all NPS units.
Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/upper-hornbecks-creek-trail.htm
Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/dewa/index.htm
Plan your hike
Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.
Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.
When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.
If you've hiked Upper Hornbecks Creek Trail and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.
Stay nearby
Other trails within 50 miles
Thunder Swamp Trail System
7 miles from this trail's centroid
Blue Mountain Loop Trail
8 miles from this trail's centroid
Hackers Falls Trail
8 miles from this trail's centroid
Ogden Mine Railroad Trail
21 miles from this trail's centroid
Long Path
25 miles from this trail's centroid
Patriots' Path
31 miles from this trail's centroid
Sources
Trail data on this page is compiled from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), the maintaining organisation's public-facing materials, and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA where excerpts are quoted). Distance, terminus, and descriptive text for nationally-designated trails are hand-curated from federal land-manager websites and trail-association sources. We do not modify the underlying data; this page presents what is already publicly recorded. To suggest corrections, see our methodology page.