Local residents can find colorful arrays of leaves this season, with many locations full of fall foliage throughout the Midvalley and Upvalley area.
“Anywhere you can put yourself in the middle of all that color is a great experience,” said Curt Camoni, Lackawanna County Visitors Bureau executive director.
Camoni’s personal favorites include the Top of the World Trails, Dunmore Pine Barrens, Tigue Street, Dunmore; Dick and Nancy Eales Nature Preserve at Moosic Mountain, Moosic Lake Road, Jessup, and the David Wenzel Treehouse at Nay Aug Park, 500 Arthur Ave., Scranton.
Camoni said many people in the area “value and love these assets so close to home.”
Top of the World Trails is 4.2-mile loop trail that starts at the Dunmore Reservoir No. 1 and “guides visitors through a rare inland pine barrens ecosystem before revealing expansive mountain views from its rocky summit,” according to the Lackawanna County Visitors Bureau website.
Dick and Nancy Eales Nature Preserve at Moosic Mountain is 2,250 acres of forests and shrublands with miles of trails, according to the website of The Nature Conservancy, which protects the reserve. Camoni said he is “very partial” to this area and “it is just beautiful.”
The David Wenzel Tree House at Nay Aug Park showcases a view overlooking Nay Aug Gorge and is completely handicapped accessible, with parking right across the road from the tree house, according to the Nay Aug Park website.
As the leaves begin to change colors, a flock of geese fly over the Lackawanna River at Blakely Borough Recreational Park. (Danielle Karwaski/For The Valley Advantage)
According to Camoni, there are many areas that are easy accessible to everyone wanting to take in the fall foliage. Many of the county parks have roads to drive through and the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail has paved areas to easily travel, according to Camoni.
“The county parks are absolutely gorgeous,” said Camoni.
Some nearby Lackawanna County parks include Merli-Sarnoski Park, 286 Sandy Banks Road, Fell Twp., and Aylesworth Park, 511 Hudson St., Jermyn.
Merli-Sarnoski Park is an 840-acre park that has trails and is “known for its untouched natural beauty,” according to the Lackawanna County website.
Aylesworth Park is a 252-acre park that includes a 4-acre lake and numerous hiking trails, including a lake trail, according to the Lackawanna County website.
Another local fall foliage spot is Archbald Pothole State Park, 960 Scranton Carbondale Highway, Archbald.
Archbald Pothole State Park is a “150-acre park in northeastern Pennsylvania. The park is named for Archbald Pothole, a geologic feature that formed during the Wisconsin Glacial Period, around 15,000 years ago,” according to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania website.
The Lackawanna River Heritage River Trail also give local residents a “great opportunity to connect in nature right in their own backyard,” said Owen Worozbyt, operations director of the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority.
The bridge leading over the Lackawanna River to the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail next to Blakely Borough Recreational Park. (Danielle Karwaski/For The Valley Advantage)
The Lackawanna River Heritage Trail is a 70-mile route through Northeast Pennsylvania that traces the river and links many towns with “breathtaking landscapes, and the enduring stories of a proud industrial and cultural past,” according to the Lackawanna Heritage Valley National and State Heritage Area website.
Locally, the long trail includes 8 miles in the Midvalley area and 3.8 miles in the Upper Valley area, according to the Lackawanna Heritage Valley National and State Heritage Area website.
Worozbyt’s personal favorite spot is the trailhead starting in the Winton section of Jessup on Laurel Street. According to Worozbyt, on this trail you can view beautiful sycamore trees and a clear view of the river and railroad tracks.
The Lackawanna River Heritage Trail “provides a very unique opportunity to travel from one community to another,” said Worozbyt. People can walk, run or ride a bike along the trail, according to Worozbyt.
The path along The Lackawanna River Heritage Trail heading from Blakely to Olyphant. (Danielle Karwaski/For The Valley Advantage)
The Lackawanna River Heritage Trail also leads to some local parks to take a rest and view more fall foliage. These parks include Blakely Borough Recreational Park, 732 Keystone Ave., Blakely, and Condella Park, 901 Susquehanna Ave., Olyphant.
“The trails and parks improve the overall quality of life,” said Worozbyt.
The peak time to see the fall foliage is in the second to third week of October, according to Worozbyt.
For more information on the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail, visit the Lackawanna Heritage Valley National & State Heritage Area website at lhva.org.
To learn more about parks, trails and other places to see fall foliage nearby this season, visit the Lackawanna County Visitors Bureau website at visitnepa.org/things-to-do/outdoors/parks-trails-and-preserves.