Quarry Path

Dogs No Dogs

Features Fall Colors · River/Creek · Wildlife

Wander up the Quarry Path for a look into the scenic woodlands that characterize so much of this beautiful area.

Starting at the junction with the Milford Knob Trail, ascend gradually on a dirt tread through dense, leafy woodlands, bypassing the site of an old quarry.

Climbing along the trail, keep your eyes peeled for signs of vernal pools. Vernal pools, or seasonal wetlands, are an incredibly undervalued, yet vital resource to the local ecology of the Delaware Water Gap.

During the fall and spring months, local frog populations need to lay their eggs in water in order for the eggs to develop into tadpoles. However, if frogs were to lay their eggs in wetlands containing water year round, predatory species like fish would be able to consume the eggs before they'd have a chance to hatch. But, because fish cannot survive in seasonal waters, frogs can utilize these areas to lay their eggs without fear of predation. Thus, vernal pools play an incredibly important part in maintaining frog populations and overall biodiversity in the Delaware Water Gap.

Eastern hardwood species abound on this trail. Keep your eyes peeled for vernal pools from Nov-Jun, as you're bound to see tadpoles swimming about or even frogs sunning themselves along the water's edge.