Parks

Get outside and explore in Northeast Pennsylvania! Luzerne County is home to four state parks, in addition to a number of other parks along the Susquehanna River and throughout the foothills of the Pocono Mountains. Hike and bike the miles of trails, fish in a lake, plan a picnic or rent a pavilion for a fun event, all in Luzerne County’s beautiful parks!

Parks Map

Back Mountain


Parks Location Icon1Frances Slocum
    State Park

565 Mount Olivet Road, Wyoming, PA 18644
Phone: 570.696.3525
Reservations call : 888.PA.PARKS
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Frances Slocum State Park consists of 1,035 acres in northeastern Pennsylvania’s Luzerne County.


The horseshoe shaped, 165-acre lake is popular for boating and fishing, and is a home to many species of birds, fish, and wildlife. Numerous hiking and mountain biking trails and the large day use area attract visitors to picnic and explore the forests.

Parks Location Icon 2Moon Lake-Harveys  Creek Tract

Hunlock Creek, PA 18621
Phone: 888.PA.PARKS
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Moon Lake State Forest Recreation Area is a 942-acre recreation area within Pinchot State Forest in Plymouth Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.


It is open for mountain biking, hiking, fishing, bird watching, and nature study. The recreation area consists of open fields and woodlots surrounding Moon Lake, a 48-acre spring-fed lake. It is located near Pennsylvania Route 29.

Parks Location Icon 3Ricketts Glen State Park

695 State Route 487, Benton, PA 17814
Phone: 570.477.5675
Reservations Call: 888.PA.PARKS
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Ricketts Glen State Park is one of the most scenic areas in Pennsylvania. This large park is comprised of 13,050 acres in Luzerne, Sullivan, and Columbia counties.


Ricketts Glen harbors the Glens Natural Area -- a National Natural Landmark. Hike the Falls Trail System to explore the Glens, which boasts a series of wild, free-flowing waterfalls, each cascading through rock-strewn clefts in this ancient hillside.

The 94-foot Ganoga Falls is the highest of 22 named waterfalls. Old growth timber and diverse wildlife add to the beauty.

Pocono Plateau


Parks Location Icon 4Lehigh Gorge State Park

RR 1 Box 81, White Haven, PA 18661
Phone: 570.443.0400
Website   View map

The 6,107 acres of park land follow the Lehigh River from Francis E. Walter Dam in the north to Jim Thorpe in the south.  Whitewater boating and biking are popular activities. A deep, steep-walled gorge carved by a river, thick vegetation, rock outcroppings, and waterfalls characterize Lehigh Gorge State Park.


A deep, steep-walled gorge carved by a river, thick vegetation, rock outcroppings, and waterfalls characterize Lehigh Gorge State Park.

In Luzerne and Carbon counties in eastern Pennsylvania, the park follows the Lehigh River from the outlet of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Francis E. Walter Dam at the northern end, to the town of Jim Thorpe at the southern end of the park.

The Lehigh Gorge Trail follows more than 20 miles of abandoned railroad grade along the river, providing opportunities for hiking, bicycling, sightseeing, and photography. The trail is closed to motor vehicles.

Parks Location Icon 5Nescopeck State Park

1137 Honey Hole Road, Drums, PA 18222
Phone: 570.403.2006
Reservations Call: 888.PA.PARKS
Website   View Map


Bordered on the south by steep Mount Yeager and on the north by Nescopeck Mountain, the 3,550-acre Nescopeck State Park encompasses wetlands, rich forests, and many diverse habitats. Nescopeck Creek, a favorite of anglers, meanders through the park. Hiking trails follow the creek, pass through quiet forests, and skirt wetlands. 

An environmental education center provides year-round educational programs on the park’s diverse resources. Interpretive exhibits highlighting the park’s natural history can be seen inside the environmental education center.

Southern Crossroads


Parks Location Icon 6Hazle Township Community Park

Route 93, Pecora Boulevard
West Hazleton, PA 18202
Phone: 570.455.2039
Website   View Map


Hazle Township Community Park is positioned right in the middle of Hazle Township near the Laurel Mall. At the park, local residents can enjoy fishing, biking, trails, pavilions, a playground and more.

South River


Parks Location Icon 7Susquehanna Riverlands

634 Salem Boulevard
Berwick, PA 18603
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Susquehanna Riverlands Loop is a 2.8 mile loop trail located near Berwick, Pennsylvania that features a river. The trail is good for all skill levels offers a number of activity options. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.


North River Trails


Parks Location Icon 8Seven Tubs

Route 115
Wilkes-Barre, PA
888.PA.PARKS
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The site is part of a 537-acre recreation area in the Pennsylvania mountains about 4 miles south of downtown Wilkes-Barre.


Seven Tubs Recreation Area is a publicly accessible recreation area located in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, and owned by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Continuously flowing glacial meltwater gouged a line of smooth tubs in gritty sandstone over 12,000 years ago.  The tubs are potholes formed by the flowing water.  The site is popular among hikers for its easy accessibility and beginner-level hiking environment.

Parks Location Icon 9Riverfront Parks

Susquehanna Riverfront
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701
Website   View Map

The Riverfront Parks encompasses three individual parks, 
The River Common, Kirby Park and Nesbitt Park.
See the listings below for historical park facts. 

The River Common

Along the banks of the tranquil Susquehanna River is The River Common Park. Located directly off of River Street, it can be accessed from the twelve mile Susquehanna Levee Trail. Concerts, festivals and special events are scheduled throughout the year. The Park is within walking distance to Downtown Wilkes-Barre and the two area college campuses: King’s College and Wilkes University. 

Kirby Park

In 1921, Fred Morgan Kirby, the five-and-ten-cent store magnate and the park’s namesake, donated over 70 acres of riverfront land on the west bank and hired the Olmsted Brothers firm, the preeminent landscape architects, to design a people’s park. Work on the park began in July 1921 and F.M. Kirby Park was officially dedicated on June 4, 1924.

Nesbitt Park

In May 1907, Abram Nesbitt, a civic minded self-made millionaire who amassed his fortune in the coal, railroad and streetcar industries, acquired 10 riverfront acres called “Rutter’s Grove” from the Erie Railroad Company, which he then donated to the City of Wilkes-Barre. Two months later, the L.D. Shoemaker Estate added 8 1/2 acres to the parcel. Together, they became Riverside Park, renamed Nesbitt Park in 1922. Today, this natural and historic greenway extends between the Veteran’s Memorial and Market Street Bridges.  The park offers open space, river views, a boat launch and a nine hole disc golf course. 

Nearby Neighbors


Parks Location Icon10Hickory Run State Park

3613 State Route 534
White Haven, PA 18661-9712
Phone: 570.443.0400
Website    View Map

The 15,990-acre Hickory Run State Park lies in the western foothills of the Pocono Mountains.


This large park has:
✔  More than 40 miles of hiking trails
✔  Three state park natural areas
✔  Miles of trout streams
✔  Boulder Field, a striking boulder-strewn area, is a National Natural Landmark.

Pinchot State Forest

District Office
1841 Abington Rd.
North Abington Twp, PA 18414
570.945.7133
Website

The district’s 44,743 acres of state forest lands blanket more than a few of the mountains near the confluence of the Susquehanna and Lackawanna rivers.



Pinchot State Forest is named in recognition of Gifford Pinchot’s monumental contributions to forestry and his legacy of forest land conservation. Pinchot turned a childhood interest in nature into a distinguished career protecting forests and a founding role in America’s emerging conservation movement.

PA Fish Commission

Phone: 570.477.5717    Website


PA Game Commission

Phone: 570.675.1143    Website