Today I decided to check out the hiking trails near the
Pocono Environmental Education Center (PEEC) located in Dingmans Ferry, PA. PEEC is a independent non profit organization that, through a partnership with the National Park Service, offers multiple nature related educational programs for families, schools and scouts. Best of all, PEEC offers 10 miles of hiking trails that are free for public use. On this warm and humid day, I planned to hit as many of those hiking trails as possible before the heat knocks me out.
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| Hiking the Pocono Environmental Education Center Trails |
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| Yellow blazed Ridgeline Trail |
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| Hiking the Ridgeline Hiking Trail |
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| Ridgeline and Scenic Gorge Trail Sign |
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| Pocono Environmental Education Center Trails |
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| Red and yellow blazes |
My trip along the PEEC hiking trails begins in the parking lot of the education center near the intersection of Brisco Mountain Road and Emery Road at N41° 10.273' W74° 54.887'. There are multiple hiking trails to choose from so I decided to jump on the one closest to the lot which is the Ridgeline Trail. The trailhead is located just north-west of the parking lot, next to cabin #1 at N41° 10.289' W74° 54.893'. The Ridgeline Trail is about 3.4 miles in length. The first 0.4 miles gains and then loses about 100ft of elevation before coming to the intersection of the Ridgeline and Scenic Gorge Trails. I chose to make the left to keep following the yellow blazed Ridgeline Trail. Like the
Conashaugh Hiking Trail I visited earlier this month, this trail features numerous hand made stone walls that outline the properties of those who once lived here. About a 1/4 mile after the intersection you'll come across the first of these walls.
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| Steep decline |
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| Looking up |
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| Half way down |
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| From the bottom |
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| Pocono Environmental Education Center Hiking Trails |
Soon after, you'll cross the first of at least six streams that intersect the trail. A few of these streams will require a bit of jumping between rocks to keep your shoes from getting soaked but the rest of them are covered by small wooden bridges. The first of these bridges is near the 1.7 mile mark. Beforehand, the path dives down quickly along a short section of trail. Thankfully, the folks at PEEC have laid a length of rope along the trail to make this descent a little less sketchy. A half mile later you'll get a close up look of a chimney and fireplace that was once part of a small cabin. You can still see the stones that made up the cabin's foundation. If only that chimney could talk.
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| Old Chimney |
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| Fireplace |
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| Cabin foundation |
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| Holy tree |
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| Hiking Trails in Pennsylvania and New Jersey |
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| Waterfall |
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| Pocono Environmental Education Center Trails |
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| PEEC Amphitheater |
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| Fossil Trail |
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| Fossil sign |
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| Fossils |
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| More fossils |
After hiking another mile, and passing multiple streams and bridges, you will see the first of three small waterfalls. They are pretty cool but nothing compared to the larger waterfalls seen along the Tumbling Waters Trail later in the trip. 3/4 of a mile later and the Ridgeline Trail comes to an end. At this point you can pack it in for the day if you'd like as the parking lot is just a short walk along PEEC's multiple paved roadways. Or you can do like I did and hike over to the Fossil Trail. The trailhead is located a few hundred feet off the paved road at N41° 10.352' W74° 54.555'. Follow the signs for the PEEC Amphitheater and it'll bring you right to the Fossil Trail.
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| Tumbling Waters Trail |
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| Another old chimney |
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| Beautiful view from the Pocono Environmental Education Center hiking trails |
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| More awesome views |
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| Memorial bench |
Except for a stream view and an old concrete foundation, the one mile long Fossil Hiking Trail is pretty uneventful. It does feature an area that apparently features fossils of marine life that lived hundreds of millions of years ago. To find it, look for the sign located at N41° 10.320' W74° 54.339'. Maybe my sight isn't what it once was, but I didn't have much luck finding the fossils that are supposed to be in the large rock formation just behind the sign. However, I did find a few rocks left along a downed tree that looked to have a few fossils in them. Check out the pics and judge for yourself.
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| Stairs to the waterfalls |
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| Waterfalls |
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| Waterfall |
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| Back on the trail |
Yet again, the trail ends near a paved section of road inside the Pocono Environment Education Center property. Just before the Fossil Trail ends you will come across an intersection for the Tumbling Waters Trail at N41° 10.168' W74° 54.762'. Hoping to see some larger waterfalls, I chose to take this route. A quarter mile of hiking along the trail and you'll have to hop over Alicia Creek. From there the trail gains some elevation before coming across the second chimney and fireplace. A short distance later, you will finally come across one of the most scenic points along the PEEC hiking trails. This area features a memorial bench that overlooks the Delaware River and the mountains on the NJ side.
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| Two Ponds Trail sign |
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| Pickeral Pond |
After taking some time to enjoy the views of the overlook, and to grab a bite to eat, I began walking further along the Tumbling Waters Trail. Less than a tenth of a mile later you will start to hear the rushing water of the waterfalls down the ravine. Near N41° 09.482' W74° 55.122' you are greeted with a giant set of stairs that bring you down to the largest waterfalls on the PEEC Trails. Enjoy yourself while you can because the climb back up is a killer. The trail climbs 225 feet over the next mile until you reach Pickeral Pond. I chose to stay on the Tumbling Waters Trail but if you'd like you can take the Two Ponds Trail near N41° 09.919' W74° 55.287' that will take you around the east side of the pond. Either way you'll get a good view. From there you are just a half mile until the end of the trail. Conveniently, the Tumbling Waters Trail ends right across the road from the parking lot I began the day. Todays trip was a total of 7.6 miles with nearly 1,600 feet of elevation gain. Thanks for following along!
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| Hide and Seek |
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| Conserving Wetland Habitats |
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| Where bats live |
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| Trash Graveyard |
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| Nearing the end of the Tumbling Waters Trail |
If you'd like to follow my steps through the Pocono Environmental Education Center Trails,
check out the map of my trip and download the GPX file below. It
contains the route I took as well as some important waypoints.
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| PEEC Trails Elevation Graph |
