Trestle Bridge
Mount Bethel, Pennsylvania
| GPS: |
40°53'59.5"N 75°4'36.6"W Maps | Directions |
| State: | Pennsylvania |
Swim
Trestle Bridge is a local Delaware River swimming and jumping spot near Portland, in Upper Mount Bethel Township, Pennsylvania, where the river forms the Pennsylvania-New Jersey line at the southern edge of the Delaware Water Gap. The name comes from the area's landmark railroad crossing, the towering Delaware River Viaduct, a long concrete-arch structure that locals nicknamed "Alice" or "Wonderland," and the swimming happens along the river below and around the old bridge crossings, where deeper channels and slower pools form good places to cool off.
This stretch of the Delaware is broad, relatively gentle and popular for tubing, paddling and casual river swimming, with the historic Portland-Columbia pedestrian bridge, one of the last of its kind, crossing nearby into Columbia, New Jersey. As with any big-river swimming, the Delaware deserves respect: current, depth and clarity change with rainfall and dam releases upstream, the bottom is uneven, and jumping from any bridge or structure carries real risk from shallow water and hidden hazards, so many locals stick to wading and swimming from the banks and beaches rather than leaping from the trestle.
The area is an easy day trip from the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos, and it pairs with nearby Delaware River access points like Smithfield Beach upstream. Summer is the season, when the water warms and the river runs lower and friendlier. Trestle Bridge is less a manicured swimming beach than a well-known local river spot, best enjoyed by those who know the Delaware and read its conditions before getting in.
More Information
Columbia-Mt Bethel RR Bridge - Delaware River Guide
Columbia-Mt Bethel RR Bridge is a Railroad Bridge, one of many historic and recreational sites on the scenic Delaware River.
https://www.riverexplorer.com/delaware/details.php?id=2141Delaware River Viaduct - Wikipedia
The Delaware River Viaduct is a reinforced concrete railroad bridge across the Delaware River about two miles (3.2 km) south of the Delaware Water Gap in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, United States. It was built from 1908 to 1910 as part of the Lackawanna Cut-Off rail line. It is the sister to the line’s larger Paulinskill Viaduct. The Delaware River Viaduct also crosses Interstate 80 on the east (New Jersey) side of the river and Slateford Road and the Lackawanna Railroad’s “Old Road” (now Delaware-Lackawanna) on the west (Pennsylvania) side. Abandoned in 1983, it is part of an Amtrak proposal to introduce passenger service between Scranton, Pennsylvania and New York City, a distance of 135 mi (217 km).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delaware_River_ViaductNew Jersey Swimming Holes and Hot Springs swimmingholes.org rivers creek springs falls hiking campin
THE web site for beautiful, natural places for a cool dip or hot soak.
https://www.swimmingholes.org/nj.htmlPortland–Columbia Pedestrian Bridge - Wikipedia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland%E2%80%93Columbia_Pedestrian_BridgeDirections
From Mount Bethel, Pennsylvania
- Head southeast on Potomac St toward Marshfield Dr (1.2 mi)
- Turn left onto Sunrise Blvd (0.7 mi)
- Turn left onto Pine Tree Ln (0.8 mi)
- Turn left onto River Rd (184 ft)
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