On October 21, 2026, I hiked Mount Tammany via the Red Dot Trail at Delaware Water Gap in New Jersey. My loop covered 3.67 miles with 1,208 feet of elevation gain and took 1 hour and 41 minutes. I climbed the Red Dot Trail before descending on the Pahaquarry Trail, commonly known as the Blue Dot Trail, and returned along Dunnfield Creek.

While the route had fewer viewpoints than my recent Storm King hike, the Mount Tammany summit felt more definitive and provided excellent views of the surrounding mountains and Delaware River. Overall, I would rate Mount Tammany as a moderate hike that was clearly harder than Storm King but much easier than my Mount Equinox and Mount Mansfield hikes in Vermont.

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Mount Tammany Hike at a Glance

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Mount Tammany Route and Trail Map

Before the hike, I downloaded the free Worthington State Forest Map through the Avenza Maps app, which includes Mount Tammany. The map showed my GPS location directly on the trail system, which made it easy to confirm where I was along the Red Dot and Blue Dot trails. The annotated map below shows my approximate direction of travel, with the Red Dot ascent highlighted in yellow and the Blue Dot descent highlighted in blue. I also marked the start and finish near the parking area and circled the main Mount Tammany viewpoint.

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Where to Park for the Mount Tammany Hike

There are two main parking areas near the Mount Tammany trailhead: Mt Tammany Red Dot Trailhead Parking and the nearby Appalachian Trail Parking lot. I chose the Appalachian Trail Parking lot and arrived at about 9:15 a.m. on a Wednesday morning. At that point, I would estimate that the lot was roughly half full, and the area still felt fairly calm. Finding a designated parking space was easy when I arrived.

However, the situation was completely different when I returned shortly after 11 a.m. The lot was full, and several cars were queued up waiting for hikers to leave so they could take an official parking space. This surprised me because it was the middle of the week rather than a fall weekend. Based on what I saw, I would still arrive early for Mount Tammany even on a weekday during good fall weather.

There were also portable toilets at the Appalachian Trail Parking lot, which was a welcome difference from my recent Storm King hike, where there were no bathroom facilities.

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Starting the Red Dot Trail

The beginning of the Mount Tammany Trail was easy to identify from the parking area. A large trail sign marks the route, with the first section starting immediately beside it. There is very little transition between leaving the parking area and beginning the climb.

The Red Dot Trail starts with a short set of wooden stairs next to the trailhead sign. From there, the route quickly enters the woods and begins gaining elevation.

The early trail becomes increasingly rocky as the climb continues. I passed several groups of hikers while ascending, although I was moving fairly quickly. Despite seeing other people, there were still long stretches when the trail itself felt quiet.

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Mount Tammany Viewpoints

The Red Dot Trail gains elevation quickly over rocky and uneven terrain, but the route was well marked and easy to follow. One of the things I liked most was that the views started relatively early, with an overlook along the ascent offering a scenic view of the Delaware River between the surrounding mountains.

The main Mount Tammany viewpoint later in the climb was even better. From there, Mount Minsi rises directly across the Delaware Water Gap, with the Delaware River curving below and Interstate 80 visible near the base of the mountains. The fall foliage made the scene especially colorful during my October hike.

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Pahaquarry Trail (Blue Dot) and the Descent

After the main viewpoint, I continued toward the Pahaquarry Trail and began the Blue Dot descent. The junctions were clearly marked, including signs for the Pahaquarry Trail and Mount Tammany Fire Road.

The descent was steep and rocky. The steepest part of the descent was roughly the first 20 to 30 minutes after leaving the main viewpoint, when the trail remained consistently rocky and required more attention to footing. I also passed people hiking uphill toward me on this section, so not everyone chooses to climb Red Dot and descend Blue Dot.

After the steeper portion of the descent, the route eventually reached the Dunnfield Creek area, where the trail passed through the forest alongside flowing water, rocks and fall foliage. This section added a different type of scenery from the mountain viewpoints earlier in the hike.

Most of the route was dry, although I encountered a few isolated wet areas near Dunnfield Creek. The waterfalls and fall foliage made this a scenic finish to the loop.

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How Difficult Is the Mount Tammany Hike?

I would personally rate Mount Tammany as a moderate hike. The relatively short distance keeps the overall effort manageable, but more than 1,200 feet of elevation gain in 3.67 miles and the rocky terrain make it much more challenging than a casual walk in the woods.

Compared with my Storm King hike, Mount Tammany was clearly harder overall, mainly because of the steeper and more sustained Red Dot ascent. The descents felt more comparable. Storm King had some fairly steep terrain around Butter Hill, but that difficult section did not last as long, while the Blue Dot descent on Mount Tammany felt more like a traditional rocky hiking trail. Mount Tammany was still much easier and shorter than my hikes of Mount Equinox and Mount Mansfield via Hell Brook Trail in Vermont.

I compared those two Vermont hikes directly in my Mount Equinox vs. Mount Mansfield hiking comparison. Mount Equinox was more of a sustained endurance climb, while Mount Mansfield added significantly more scrambling and technical terrain. For me, Mount Tammany fits nicely between shorter Hudson Valley hikes and the more demanding mountain hikes I completed in Vermont.

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Recommendations for Hiking Mount Tammany

• Arrive early. The parking area was only about half full when I arrived around 9:15 a.m. on Wednesday but was completely full shortly after 11 a.m., with cars waiting for spaces.
• Use the Red Dot climb if you enjoy rocky ascents. This was my favorite part of the hike, and I would be happy to hike it again.
• Expect a steep Blue Dot descent. The first 20 to 30 minutes after the main viewpoint were the steepest portion of my descent.
• Choose a dry day if possible. Most of the trail was dry during my hike, which made the rocky sections easier to manage.
• Do not rush the viewpoints unless you want a fast hike. My 1-hour-and-41-minute time included very little time stopped at the overlooks.
• The trail can feel quieter than the parking lot suggests. I passed several groups of hikers, but the trail system is large enough that several stretches might still feel fairly quiet.
• Take advantage of the facilities at the Appalachian Trail Parking lot. Portable toilets were available there.
• Pay attention near Dunnfield Creek. This was where I encountered some of the wetter sections of the route.

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Final Thoughts

Overall, Mount Tammany was an enjoyable short hike with a good combination of climbing, viewpoints, rocky terrain and creek scenery. I especially liked the Red Dot ascent and the views across the Delaware Water Gap, while the Blue Dot descent provided a sustained rocky return without feeling overwhelming. The route was well marked, conditions were mostly dry and the temperature felt ideal for hiking.

I would hike Mount Tammany again. It was harder than Storm King without approaching the difficulty or commitment of my Vermont hikes, making it a good moderate option when I want a scenic and challenging hike that does not take most of the day.

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