Mount Tammany Loop Trail in Delaware Water Gap

At the start, a sign warns that there are rattlesnakes, copperhead snakes, and bears here. The hike is five kilometers long and climbs 367 meters to the top of the mountain. For those in the know, that height difference is comparable to the height of the Empire State Building in New York City. And here against the mountainside, there are no comfortable stairs to be found.

The first kilometer is a steep climb straight up, over a slope that we can barely call a path. It’s littered with rocks, most of which are stable, but some slide away when we seek support. Good hiking shoes are therefore a must. Along the way, we see, aside from stones and pine trees, actually little of interest. Once at the top, we are happily rewarded with a beautiful view of the surroundings.

The way down is less steep but along an equally uncomfortable rocky path. By now, it is starting to get dark, and the deeper we descend into the forest, the creepier the atmosphere becomes. There is no one to be seen here, and knowing what kind of wild animals roam around … Every stone we hear rolling in the distance sounds like quite a sensation.

It is therefore quite a shock when suddenly a large animal jumps away. What a relief: we see three adorable fawns. The animals are less shy than we expect and allow themselves to be photographed willingly. A nice finale to a hike that we would not really recommend otherwise.