The Delaware is one of the quiet success stories of American rivers. From its sources in the Catskills it runs for hundreds of miles to the sea at Delaware Bay, and for most of that length it is free-flowing, without a major dam on its main stem, which makes it the longest undammed river east of the Mississippi. The stretch here, part of the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, a unit of the national park system, runs through a forested valley of low ridges and small farms, with the river broad and green in summer and grey and icy in winter. The pull-off here gives a view down onto the water, with a bridge or two and the hills beyond.
The river's water is clean enough to drink after treatment, and it supplies millions of people in New York City and Philadelphia. Fishermen come for trout and shad, canoeists for the easy rapids, and eagle watchers for the wintering birds, which perch in the big sycamores along the banks. On warm summer weekends the water is full of rafts and inner tubes, and the road is busy with trailers and trucks. In autumn the foliage along the valley is worth a detour in itself.
The riding here is relaxed and pleasant. The road follows the river with gentle curves, passing little villages, old inns and small farms, and the surface is mostly good, though patches of broken tarmac appear after winter. The traffic is moderate, and tends to build in the afternoon, so it makes sense to ride in the morning and find a place for lunch by two. Keep an eye out for turning trucks and for cyclists, who share the road, and take care on bridges, where the decks can be slick after rain.
Fuel is at Port Jervis, about ten kilometres south, and there is not much in between, so check your tank before you set out. There are small stores and diners in the villages, with the usual north-eastern fare of burgers, pie and strong coffee. The river is cold, even in summer, but there are public access points where you can wade or swim. Come at dawn if you can, when mist lies on the river and the only sound is the water.