Came here on Sat 10/25 to hike with a couple gf's and brought my doggo, Linc, since it's a dog…read morefriendly trail. I work out but I wasn't ready for this trail as a first time hiker lol! I wore sneakers but would have greatly benefited from hiking boots for more ankle support after slipping and tripping my way along the dense leaf covered dirt trail that continued to get more rocky on the ascent. Also, you will need to climb some legit large rocks/boulders to reach the Pulpit Rock overlook but the challenge was well worth it for the views! My gf's & I chose the easy way down which was to take the gravel road alongside the observatory that eventually transitions to pavement. Even the decline of this road was steep in itself. No easy way up or down haha! I saw people of all ages and fitness levels along my hike and plenty of cute dogs! Bring snacks and water to re-energize during a rest break. My one friend packed some TP and I thought it was a great idea cuz you just never know when you might have to go! Parking lot is a joke with ~20-25 spots but many ppl, including us, parked along Reservoir Rd so make sure to get here early in the morning or expect to walk a couple extra miles just to reach the start of the trail.

Great spot for a day hike, with beautiful views at the two main lookouts - Pulpit Rock and the…read morePinnacle. The hardest part of the hike is getting to Pulpit Rock, as it starts with a fairly steep road to get to the trail, and then some more elevation climb as you get up to the lookout. From there, it's probably another 2.5 miles or so to get to the Pinnacle, but the elevation gain is minimal. Both of these stops provide great views, with lots of raptors flying around if you're lucky! Bring snacks and water, especially on a hot day, and cameras to take pictures!

After 3 years of bi annual visits to Jim Thorpe, my boyfriend and I finally went to visit the…read moreoverlook (and it was finally opened - we had a great luck of it being closed the first 2-3 times we drove by it). You have to take a short detour off of either W Broadway or Beaver Run Dr. to Flagstaff Rd. There are signs you can follow all the way up there, on a one way dirt path 1,000 feet above the town, and only 3 miles away from it. We went around 4pm in November, when the sun was blending beautifully with the clouds. The panoramic view is insanely stunning! According to discovernepa.com : "Facing south, you'll take in a breathtaking look at the expansive Mahoning Valley and the rolling Pocono foothills. To the north, the overlook offers a stunning bird's-eye view of Jim Thorpe itself, nestled at the base of the mountains and bordered by the scenic curves of the Lehigh River." We took some pictures, walked around to take the views in. We noticed there is a development in process, so depending how long the construction will take place - I imagine the overlook might get more crowded, or the area more restricted. There is a picnic bench you can sit down at. And apparently there is also a camp site. Just imagine drinking your morning coffee with this view! Definitely will be visiting again when we're in the neighborhood.

Take in stunning, panoramic views of the rolling hilltops of Carbon County at this overlook in Jim…read moreThorpe. 100 Mile View offers a southern survey of the Mahoning Valley and beyond. To the north, you can capture a bird's eye view of Jim Thorpe, the Lehigh Gorge State Park, and the snaking Lehigh River. it is accessible via Flagstaff Road (or put google map) Parking: ample parking on the top.!! but when you are reaching, its one-way dirt road to the top, like hardly 200-300 meter.

Upper Bucks secret is out. Part of the Noximixon State Park. Nice elevated hiking trail with a real…read moreamazing formation at the top. You will need to hike yourself to reap the rewards. 20 -30 minute hike to the formation. Must See!

After our initial visit to the Bear Creek Seven Tubs Recreational Area saw me turned away, I…read moredecided to explore the Bear Creek Preserve. I was already all set with sunscreen and bug spray, and I wasn't about to let my drive go to waste. The preserve offers several trails that are open to everyone. I chose the red trail, which was about 4 miles long. It wasn't too challenging, but the rocky terrain means wear sturdy shoes. As you walk, you'll find plenty of sights and photo spots, along with a few benches for a quick rest. This Preserve is great whether you're going solo or with a group. Just make sure you're prepared for the walk. It can be quite tiring, but it's definitely worth it!

Great place to get out and visit nature. Falls, views and creeks. It's a moderate to easy hike…read morethrough the mountains. The trails are well marked.

Hawk Mountain is one of a handful of magical places I will never grow tired of visiting…read more It's both sad and inspiring to learn about the history of Hawk Mountain and why it exists. The visitor center is fun to browse around. We like to take the short walk up to the North Lookout and hangout up there for a little while enjoying the scenery. If you're lucky, you can get the lookout to yourself for a while - or at least have quiet people enjoying the uniqueness of the setting. When I'm by myself, I like to do a more difficult and lengthy walk down the River of Rocks Trail to the Golden Eagle Trail, and then up the Skyline Trail where I can take in the scenery from the North Lookout before heading back to the visitor center. We've been members for several years and have enjoyed some of their special events like the photography contests and Birds and Brews. If you're just visiting for a few hours, head down to Wanamaker's General Store for a delicious wrap!

Want to learn about raptors and see them in person? Located along the Appalachian flyway, Hawk…read moreMountain straddles the Kittatinny Ridge, or Blue Mountain, a 300-mile-long, prominent ridge extending from 60 miles north of New York City to 20 miles west of Chambersburg, PA. It is here where every autumn, more than 20,000 birds of prey pass over, making their way from northern states and Canada to warmer climates. Hawk Mountain Sanctuary is the oldest and largest wild bird sanctuary in nearby Kempton, PA, where trails and lookouts offered beautiful scenery and access to nature where my partner, his family and I came today. From the Visitors Center, which had some interesting exhibits and a gift shop where the admission fee was collected at $10 per person, the Lookout Trail was the easiest and most popular, covering a one-mile route to several lookout points along the ridge. Friendly staff members were positioned here to answer questions and point out birds. The trails were very well marked, and the trail map explained each so that one knows what you're getting into. We walked to North Lookout. It was the pinnacle of Hawk Mountain perching on top of the mountain at an elevation of 1,500 feet and offering a 200-degree view that stretches 70 miles on a clear day. This was a perfect place to work on photography and binocular skills, as well as a popular destination for hikers and nature enthusiasts that we can recommend.

Great place for day hiking. Mountain views and moderate to easy terrain. Bring sunscreen, lots of…read moreopen space. Usually a lot of birds and wild life.

Really beautiful landscape! Took my bike up there but realized fast that the trails were a bit too…read morerocky for my bike and experience level. Will be back to hike on foot for the views though!

I went hiking here with my family and it was incredible! First time hiking. The trails were marked…read moreand easy to follow even though the terrain was full of rocks. There was so much beautiful wildlife and an amazing view at the top. What a lovely experience.

This is a large park with well-marked trails, restrooms, signage on what birds you may see, and of…read morecourse, great mountain views. It's right past the Camelback resort, so if it isn't crowded there, traffic should be a breeze getting to the park. The Indian Trail was a bit rocky and a little steep at parts, but the blazes are easy to follow, and the trail was doable for beginners. Make sure you wear good, sturdy shoes. There was plenty of parking and some picnic tables nearby.

Such a cool and interesting thing to see in the state park. Have to drive a little over 3 miles to…read moreget here on a dirt road but lots of parking once you get there. There are plaques explaining how the field developed. Overall, a super cool thing to see, pictures don't do the size of the field justice

If you're visiting here, DRIVE SLOW! There are potholes that will break your car's axle if you…read moredrive too fast. The posted speed limit it 25. Drive 10 MPH or less. As for the field: it's exactly what the name implies. A field of boulders as far as you can see. And exercise extreme caution because it's very easy to get a foot caught between the boulders.

We spent 8 nights tent camping in the big loop (site 40) as a family with two elementary school…read moreaged children. Overall it was a wonderful experience and we highly recommend to anyone who loves camping. The great: I need to highlight the events that are organized by the rangers. They were really wonderful. The day we arrived there was a strawberry jam event (which we couldn't participate in because you had to pre-register). While we were there we participated in yoga on the beach, a sundial activity for children, nature story time, and a fireflies activity. These were all fantastic and interactive. Yoga and fireflies were both well attended talks. For the Sundial and Nature Story, it was only us or us and another family. I really liked how the leader was able to present in a way that hooked my 10 year old as well as younger children. The visitor center will also let you borrow fishing poles to try out fishing. The good: We booked our site about 10 months out and it was the last lake view site available to us for those dates. The view and size were wonderful. Other lake view sites were more private, if you can book them 11 months out when booking opens. We loved our site though and our neighbors, though close, were all very nice. There was a small trail leading down to the lake and an area that you could launch small boats. We brought our stand up paddle board and made sure it was registered. The ability to launch essentially from our campsite was fantastic! As a tent camper, I definitely prefer the Big Loop (where we were) to the Small Loop, where there are full hook up sites and lots of RVs. It was wonderful to walk around and we saw lots of wildlife, including ducks, geese, many birds, a bald eagle, and a young black bear. The not-so-good: Note, there is a young black bear that frequents the campground area and has, apparently, found that human food is easy to get. Please for your safety and the bear's safety lock up all your food, toiletries and trash in a locked vehicle. I'd also highly recommend not feeding ANY wildlife, including ducks and geese. The only other real problem was that the power was out in the big loop bathrooms for the duration of our stay and I didn't notice any urgency to fix that. The plumbing still works, but there is no hot water or lights. They've actually made it pretty workable, placing motion sensor battery lights in the stalls themselves. It definitely made grooming more complex. We had to drive to the small loop or the beach for showers. In addition, sometimes the dish washing sinks behind the bathrooms aren't draining properly. Next time I'll bring a dish pan to place into the utility sink so I have a bit more control of that, but if everyone scrapes their dishes and pots into the trash before washing it would help.

Ricketts Glen is a very special place for me and my family, and we have been visiting annually for…read moremany years. Lodging: My family likes to stay in the little cabins in the park. They have two or three bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a fire ring. They are fully furnished and climate controlled, which is nice in the winter and summer. However, there is no WiFi or cell service (unless you have A T and T) so be mindful of that when you book. I have never stayed at the campsites, so I cant speak for accommodations there. Activities: There's so much to do around the park, including boating or swimming at Lake Jean, exploring the many miles of trails, or having a family barbecue. The most famous trail in the park, the Falls Trail, is a must-hike for visitors. The trail can be steep, rocky, and slippery, and the main loop (not including the bottom three falls) runs about 5 miles, which is longer than the advertised distance, so be prepared. Bring good shoes and lots of water and expect some amazing views of the falls. The other trails in the park are also beautiful, albeit far less traveled. I did the 13 mile loop from cherry run to mountain springs road to the mountain springs trail, and it was a great distance and not too steep. We went past the old Lake Leigh dam breast and an unnamed waterfall with a nice swimming hole. The cherry run and mountain springs trails have lots of tall grass, so make sure to wear long pants in case of ticks. Additionally, the spring runs right through portions of the mountain springs trail, so be prepared to get your feet a little wet. I look forward to each year I get to go to Ricketts and even though I am sad I'm home, I'm super excited for next year!

Great horseback riding for beginners, excellent staff, calm and well trained horses, and great…read moreclean fun for families! Our family of three tried the trail experience which lasted over an hour after a thorough instructional rundown of safety and horsemanship. Korie and Heather, our guides were friendly, professional and concerned of our safety. We highly recommend Quarter K trail ride!

My wife and I had a great time. The staff took great pains to make sure that everyone in the group…read morehad fun. We highly recommend this for anyone.