Get Outdoors Poconos Hosts March 25 Promised Land State Park In Pike County

Promised Land State Park in Pike County is one of 25 “must-see” state parks in Pennsylvania, but there are plenty of ways to get off the beaten path in this popular place.

At 10 a.m. March 26, the “Get Outdoors Poconos” hiking series will lead the way.

A 2.5-mile loop starts at the Snow Shanty Boat Mooring Area, off Pickerel Point near the park office. Hikers here will see a mix of several kinds of oak, maple, healthy hemlocks and spruces, and hundreds of beech sprouts.

The often-rocky trail winds through many different terrains, uphill and down, passing from mixed hardwood forests to high-bush blueberries crowding around. Grouse, rabbits, fox, and other small creatures abound here, rustling in the underbrush.

A short, steep climb leads to an exposed rock ridge and an otherworldly scene — a rockscape of head-high boulders, dropped and tumbled and left behind with the ebbing of the last glacier.

Return to your starting point through a tunnel of black-green hemlocks running steeply downhill, toward swampy, ephemeral wetlands showing beaver activity.

You’ll return to civilization feeling grateful that this wilderness of almost 3,000 acres belongs to us all, open to everyone.

This is a moderate, family-friendly hike of about 2.5 miles at Promised Land State Park.

Hikers should meet at the parking area of Snow Shanty Boat Mooring Area, off Pickerel Point Road, directly across Route 390 from the Promised Land State Park office. Restrooms and maps are available at the office.

The hike is free, but registration is required.  Call 570-839-1120 or 570-629-2727 or send email to: info@brodheadwatershed.org (subject line “Promised Land hike”).

The Get Outdoors Poconos hike series is administered by Brodhead Watershed Association and supported by a grant from the William Penn Foundation.

For more information on other hiking opportunities, visit the Get Outdoors Poconos webpage.

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