A trip to Chambers Lake looking for some Trumpeter Swans didn’t yield any birds, but an assemblage of photographs (as usual). I did get to see some sections of Hibernia County Park that I don’t normally get a chance to visit.
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A Drive Around Hibernia County Park and Chambers Lake
A nice father and son scene at the Lake but no swans. The back of the barn near the mansion. A view from the Lake Campground out onto Chambers Lake. A great stand of oaks in the Lake Campground. Some interesting fallen branches with last Autumn’s leaves near Fiddlers Campground. -
Fulton and Franklin Treasures
Cowans Gap State Park is a 1,085-acre park in the beautiful Allens Valley of Fulton County. A 42-acre lake, large campground, rustic cabins, and many hiking trails are prime attractions. The Buchanan State Forest surrounds the park, providing additional options for recreation and natural beauty in all seasons. The park features a full range of other activities such a fishing, boating, hunting, picnicking and swimming.
The beach in Autumn. 
It was a still day with great reflections on the water. 
A panoramic view. 
A dam and the fishing pier. 
Autumn silence. Buchanan’s Birthplace State Park is an 18.5-acre park nestled in a gap of Tuscarora Mountain in Franklin County. The park and the surrounding forested mountains offer an abundance of beauty throughout the year. In addition to President Buchanan’s memorial, there are picnic pavilions and picnic tables. Buck Run flows through the park and hosts a population of native trout.
James Buchanan Jr. was a lawyer and politician who served as the 15th president of the United States from 1857 to 1861. He previously served as secretary of state from 1845 to 1849 and represented Pennsylvania in both houses of the U.S. Congress.
The memorial. 
Lovely fall colors. 
Picnic pavilion. 
Buck Run. 
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Summer at Middle Creek
I don’t make it to Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Lancaster and Lebanon counties all that often during the Summer. Here are a few shots from around the property.
A lovely tiger swallowtail decided to hang out. 
Geese can be found at Middle Creek almost any time of year. 
The corn is looking good. 
Farming is done at Middle Creek. The fields provide habitat and food for some species. 
Pennsylvania farm country in a nutshell. 
I never really noticed the hills around this area as much as on this trip. 
Much to do here other than wildlife viewing. 
A glamorous egret interloper with the geese. 
Purple wildflowers along this pond. 
Lots of wildflowers everywhere …. -
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
Our annual Poconos girls’ weekend occurred in July this year. On short notice, my friend was able to find a great weekly rental at Lake Naomi. I also take this time to do some exploring around the Poconos. I set out to view some lake communities I hadn’t visited before. I will leave the rest of the weekend to your imagination.
The most photogenic was the Emerald Lakes area. 
Boats lined up near a swimming beach. 
A nice private dock in need of a boat. 
This looks like a great family day out. 
A deer came out to say hello. 
The clubhouse beach at Stillwater Lake has seen better days. The waterfowl have taken over. 
Something different: Checking out the shooting range at State Game Lands 127. -
A Few From This Summer
I rather liked this panorama shot of Lake Wallenpaupack from the overlook near the dam. When you’re there, look up to your right and you might see an osprey nest in season.
Lake Wallenpaupack Closer to home, here is a shot from Kirkwood Preserve (in Chester County).
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Mixing it Up
Here are a few shots from around Lake Nockamixon. I happened to stop there on my way home from Ralph Stover State Park. The 5,286-acre Nockamixon State Park is in Bucks County and is convenient to Philadelphia and its suburbs. Tohickon Creek, Three Mile Run, and Haycock Run feed the 1,450-acre Lake Nockamixon, which is a rest stop for migrating waterfowl and popular with boaters and anglers. There is a marina and 24 hour fishing in designated areas. You can stay the night in a cabin or enjoy the activities of the park for the day. Popular activities include picnicking, swimming in the pool, hiking, biking, disc golfing, hunting, fishing, birdwatching and boating.
The marina is one of my favorite areas of the park. 
I think I prefer the sailboat. 
An adaptive kayak launch to the right. A rare win for handicapped access in PA. 
Water looks a little choppy but still fun. 
A interesting barn I found on the way home. -
The Secrets of the Trees
Trees and forested areas can be some of the most difficult to photograph. For me, it’s primarily the challenge of finding the strong focal point. The woods in Promised Land State park are some of my favorites. Let’s take a drive around the Upper Lake.
A lake in the picture never hurts. 
I love how this spot emphasis the boggy and marshy qualities of the Poconos. 
I would love this dock. 
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That’s a Lot of Concrete (and a bonus park)
Looming over the town of Nicholson, Pennsylvania is the Tunkhannock Creek Viaduct, a railroad bridge completed in 1915. It is a concrete deck arch bridge on the Nicholson Cutoff rail segment of the Norfolk Southern Railway Sunbury Line that spans Tunkhannock Creek. Measuring 2,375 feet (724 m) long and 240 feet (73.15 m) tall when measured from the creek bed (300 feet (91.44 m) from bedrock), it was the largest concrete structure in the world when completed in 1915 and still merited “the title of largest concrete bridge in America, if not the world” 50 years later. Built by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, the bridge is owned today by Norfolk Southern Railway and is still used daily for regular through freight service. Apparently almost half of the bulk of this behemoth is underground, in the form of bridge pillars up to 138 feet (142 m) below ground.
The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 11, 1977. In 1975, the American Society of Civil Engineers or ASCE designated the bridge as a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. ASCE recognized the bridge as “not only a great feat of construction skill” but also a “bold and successful departure from contemporary, conventional concepts of railroad location in that it carried a mainline transversely to the regional drainage pattern, effectively reducing the distance and grade impediments…”
The bridge towers over the town of Nicholson. 
A view further upstream. 
The cows don’t seem to notice the vast structure. I also swung by Lackawanna State Park on my way back from the bridge. The 1,445-acre park is ten miles north of Scranton. The focus is the 198-acre Lackawanna Lake, which is surrounded by picnic areas and multi-use trails winding through forest. Boating, camping, fishing, mountain biking, and swimming are popular recreation activities here.
I’ve always wanted a canoe mooring on a lake. 
At least these geese don’t mind the weather. 
Another rainy late spring day …. 
Great spot for a picnic and a boat trip. -
A Lake and a Pond
Prompton State Park and the Varden Conservation Area are located near each other in northeastern Pennsylvania’s Wayne County. Prompton State Park provides boat launching and picnicking facilities for the 290-acre Prompton Lake, which is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. There are twenty-six miles of hiking trails which surround the lake and a disc golf course.
Morning mists on Prompton Lake …. 
A little disc golf by the lake. 
A view of the substantial dam. 
The west branch of Lackawanna Creek. 
Half mast for Memorial Day. A gift from veterinarian Dr. Mead Shaffer, the 444-acre Varden Conservation Area is in an area that was once a remote section of the state, but which is now beginning to feel pressure from development. The land is conserved as open space with opportunities for low impact recreation and educational use. It is a great place to learn about Pennsylvania’s natural history. There is picnicking by and fishing in the pond. There is also hiking in the two tracts which constitute this conservation area. I visited the Tannery Road Tract.
The lovely pond can be used for fishing. 
Morning mists on an unseasonably cool day. 
Beautiful irises are indicative of the seasonal flora of this area. 
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Return to the Promised Land
I made my third trip to Promised Land State Park this past Memorial Day weekend. I love the Bear Wallow Cabin area, a cluster of former CCC cabins that still are largely original construction with hand made wood furniture. I also like the proximity of the Wildlife Observation Station to these cabins. The weather was unseasonably cold and raining so most of time was spent travelling around to other nearby sights to get a feel for those places. In this post, I will focus on some of the logistics of the park.
Promised Land contains two lakes with multiple boat launches, a beach with concession, boat rental, hiking and horseback riding. There are opportunities for hunting and fishing in season. The park is mostly surrounded by the Delaware State Forest. It is unusual in that most of the town of Promised Land is within the boundaries of the park and privately owned cabins are tucked away around the lakes.
Cabin number 2, named Buchanan. The cabins come in varying sizes, This is a smaller one. 
The bathrooms for Cabin 1 and 2. Each cabin has its own bathroom which is unusual in a state park. The cabins have an oven, fridge, microwave, coffee maker and electrical outlets. Heat is by wood stove and there is no running water. The bathrooms are modern with toilet, shower, and sink and are heated. The park has multiple campgrounds and a variety of different camping options as well.
The interior looking toward the bedroom. 
An old drop down desk. 
A bench near the Bear Wallow boat launch on the Lower Lake. 
The statue in front of the Masker Museum, which focuses on the CCC.