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Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River does not manage any campgrounds. Most of the land within the river valley remains in private ownership. If you plan to camp, be sure to inquire at locally established campgrounds or obtain landowner permission.
Primitive Camping
Within the Buckhorn Natural Area of Delaware State Forest, near Pond Eddy, NY, there is a primitive camping area. This is a Pennsylvania State Forest primitive camping area for river users only. There are no facilities at this location and the area can only be accessed by water. You cannot access the site by car. A permit is required to camp at Buckhorn Natural Area.
Free permits are available to camp at Buckhorn Natural Area. Please download the camping permit form, fill it out, and email the completed form to Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River at upde_interpretation@nps.gov. A park ranger will review your information, sign the permit, and email you a copy.
When completing the form, please fill out the following sections:
Name (first and last)
Address
Email Address
Phone Number
Emergency Contact Name and Phone Number (this should be a person who is not going on the trip, and can be contacted in case of an emergency)
Vehicle Description (optional, but this information can be used in case of an emergency to identify you or your party)
Color
License Plate Number and State
Make & Model of Car
Camping Type (tent, hammock, or both)
Dates (includes start and end date)
Number of Campers in Your Group
Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River staff will sign the permit, check that the permit has been authorized, and indicate if campfires are permitted (this is determined by the time of year and forest fire danger status).
If you cannot download and/or complete and submit the form electronically to park staff, please call or email our staff to request a permit. When you contact us, please provide or be ready to provide the information the permit form requests (listed above).
Camping permit is valid for up to three nights.
There are no designated campsites. Camping spots are first-come, first-served.
Glass is prohibited on the river. Closed toed shoes are recommended to protect your feet.
Open fires, including campfires, are not permitted from March 1 – May 25 and October 1 – December 1; as well as when the forest-fire danger is determined by the District Forester to be High, Very High, or Extreme. Please check your permit if campfires are permitted. Campfires that are permitted must be attended to at all times.
This is a Pack-It-In, Pack-It-Out park. You must take any and all trash with you when you leave the camping area. Littering and disposal of garbage, paper, refuse, waste, or other material of any kind is prohibited.
By law, every person on the river is required to have a life jacket within reach. This includes individuals using boats, canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, inner tubes, and any other aquatic and inflatable devices and vessels. Children 12 years old and younger are required by law to wear a life jacket while on or in the river. Additionally, life jackets arerequired to be worn by everyone on the river when the river level is six feet or higher, as measured at the Callicoon Gauge (for upstream of the Narrowsburg bridge) and the Barryville Gauge (for downstream of the Narrowsburg bridge); and/or between November 1 through April 30.
Power tools and chain saws are not permitted.
You must have a digital or physical copy of the permit with you when you are camping. You must be able to present a copy of the permit to a ranger if asked.
Additional rules are listed on your permit. Please make sure to review the rules listed on your permit before you camp.
The campsite is located approximately 0.8 miles downriver of the Pond Eddy Bridge, on the Pennsylvania side (river right) of the Delaware River. It begins opposite and just below Kittatinny Canoes' Staircase Access, by the Staircase/Stairway rapids. Keep an eye out for white square markers on the trees. These indicate the camping area.
Cell phone reception is limited. Please let someone know when you leave and when you expect to return.
Check the weather conditions ahead of time and prepare appropriately.
If you do have reception, you can call the river hotline at 845-252-7100 for daily river information. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from April 1st through October 31st.
This region is home to bears. Be mindful of how you store your food. Do not store food in your tent and wash any dirty dishes immediately. Consider hanging your food in a tree in a food bag or using bear-resistant containers. Learn more about food and bear safety.
Learn more about general safety in the Upper Delaware on our safety webpage.
Learn more about how to stay safe while on the river at the Upper Delaware on our river safety webpage.
White markers on the trees indicate the Buckhorn camping area.
NPS
There are no designated campsites at the Buckhorn Primitive Camping Area.
NPS / D'Arcy
Privately Owned Campgrounds
This is a sortable dataset list of privately owned campgrounds and camping facilities. Some of these establishments also offer other amenities and services such as cabins, RV sites, water equipment rentals, and river trip planning.
For links to tourist information agencies and additional lodging options, please see Nearby Attractions. For inns, furnished cabins, and other lodging options, please see Lodging.
You are able to sort this list by location/city.
Privately owned campgrounds at Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River
