Sightseeing in the East

The 60-mile Delaware Canal is the only remaining continuously intact canal of the great towpath canal building era of the early and mid-19th century. The canal remains today with almost all of its features as they existed during its century of commercial operation. The canal is a National Historic Landmark and its towpath is a National Heritage Hiking Trail.

Many French Creek facilities were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, including two sites on the National Register of Historic Places. Adjacent to the park lies Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site that features a cold-blast furnace restored to its 1830s appearance. National Park Service costumed interpreters lead tours and demonstrations.

The history of Jacobsburg focuses on the Henry family and their small arms industry; an industry that played a key role in the American Industrial Revolution. Henry Rifles were the favored weapon of early exploreers of the American West. The Jacobsburg Historic District is in and adjacent to the park and has a Hernry Rifle Museum.

Within the park you can still see the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps done in the 1930s. A seasonal musuem explores CCC contributions and area wildlife. CCC-era buildings and ruins are scattered throughout the park. The CCC-era Bear Wallows Cabin Area is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Portions of Ridley Creek State Park are on the National Register of Historic Places. Part of the park is leased to the Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation. Operated under the direction of Bishop's Mill Historical Institute, the plantation provides visitors with an accurate picture of life on a Delaware County farm prior to the American Revolution.

The top of Camelback Mountain is a unique forest called a scrub oak shrubland. Wind-dwarfed gray birch, quaking aspen, red pine and scrub oak cover the mountaintop, with no tree over twenty feet tall. Lowbush blueberry, sweet fern and mountain laurel grow under the short trees. Down slope, the forest offers more shade with mixed hardwoods including oak, maple, and hickory trees.

Portions of South Trail are lined with blueberry and mountain laurel, which bloom in mid-June. On the north side of the mountain, North Trail Lower Loop Trail on the old railroad grade passes through a rock cut and offers hikers a glimpse of a hemlock and rhododendron glen, which is surprisingly cool on hot summer days. Rhododendron blooms in late July.

The Delaware is the longest free-flowing river east of the Mississippi River and serves as a major migration corridor for birds and for the American shad. The park maintains six public recreation areas with shoreline access to the river. Of the many islands in the river, eleven are protected as the Delaware River Islands State Park Natural Area.

Evansburg State Park is forested by a combination of northern and southern hardwood types in various stages of growth. The blending of these types results in a remarkably wide variety of trees, wildflowers, habitats and wildlife.

Early morning and evening hours are the best time to see deer, rabbits and other wildlife. Please obey park regulations to protect park resources.

All 16 species of raptors that migrate on the East Coast can be seen from the Observation Deck. The “Watch” begins on September 1st and lasts through October 31st. Volunteer compilers are on duty every day, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., counting raptors that migrate past the deck. The deck provides a scenic overlook year-round, and also provides great views of the butterfly garden.

Tobyhanna and Gouldsboro state parks are in the Pocono Plateau, a rugged highland with rocky soil, nutrient-poor bogs, dark evergreen forests and a diversity of animals and plants. Explore Gouldsboro for more information.

Hickory Run has three state park natural areas, one of which is also a national natural landmark. Explore Hickory Run for more information.

Because of the wide variety of habitat found in and around Henry’s Woods, a rich array of birds and wildflowers may be seen, especially during the spring months. When snow conditions are right, it is great for cross-country skiing. Explore Jacobsburg for more information.

River corridors are natural transportation routes and so the Gorge has a great diversity of plants and animals. Great blue herons, mergansers, kingfishers and beavers are common river residents. In summer, the Lehigh Gorge Trail is a great place to see snakes, fence lizards and warblers, especially black-and-white and magnolia warblers.

Marsh Creek is a popular place for birding, especially during the spring and fall waterfowl migration.

Habitats like the 200 acres of high quality wetlands, rich forests and six miles of the pristine Nescopeck Creek are home to over 160 species of birds, 30 species of amphibians and reptiles and over 600 species of plants.

The Neshaminy freshwater estuary is a unique place. Plants and animals from two worlds meet here, some from the ocean and some from upstream headwaters. Explore Neshaminy for more information.

Because of the park’s diverse habitats, over 170 species of birds have been recorded. Area bird watchers are continually drawn to the park in hopes of catching a glimpse of a new or rare species to add to their own personal list. Explore Norristown for more information.

Promised Land State Park is in the Pocono Plateau, a rugged highland with rocky soil, nutrient-poor bogs, dark evergreen forests and a diversity of animals and plants. Explore Promised Land for more information.

The Glens Natural Area, a registered National Natural Landmark since October 12, 1969, is the main scenic attraction in the park. Two branches of Kitchen Creek cut through the deep gorges of Ganoga Glen and Glen Leigh and unite at “Waters Meet” and then flow through Ricketts Glen, among giant pines, hemlocks and oaks. Explore Ricketts Glen for more information.

The park lies in a glacially altered, hilly terrain referred to since the 1750s as "the Endless Mountains." The varying layers of Devonian age sandstone and shale of the Catskill Formation are exposed in the 80-foot deep gorge of Fall Brook. Explore Salt Springs for more information.

Tobyhanna and Gouldsboro state parks are in the Pocono Plateau, a rugged highland with rocky soil, nutrient-poor bogs, dark evergreen forests and a diversity of animals and plants. Explore Tobyhanna for more information.

Three main habitats dominate Tyler State Park, forests, fields and wetlands. The mixed hardwood forests are composed of oaks, maples and walnuts and are great habitat for forest birds like warblers, tanagers, thrushes and vireos. Explore Tyler for more information.

The extensive forest cover, hemlock valleys and mountainous terrain provide ideal habitat for ‘big woods’ wildlife. White-tailed deer, black bear and wild turkey are regularly sighted. The patient observer can find bobcat, coyote and river otter. Over 200 species of birds have been recorded. Many breeding species that one could expect to find further north are present, including northern goshawk, yellow-bellied flycatcher and white-throated sparrow. Do not feed wildlife. Keep food locked inside cabins or vehicles. Wildlife is best viewed by walking any of the numerous hiking trails or slowly driving the extensive Wyoming State Forest roads in and around the park. Explore Worlds End for more information.