This summer my family and I spent most of our weekends exploring the hiking trails of the Wilkes-Barre and Scranton PA area. Through all the hardship and guesswork involved in finding good trails we were able to discover a few local gems and one not so local gem. The best trails we found for local family friend hikes were in Francis Slocum Park, Hickory Run Park and for those days when you want a challenge, Ricketts Glen State Park offers some very nice, if harder trails.
An Easy Start at Francis Slocum
For a family outing with my 4 year old nephew the hands down winner was Francis Slocum. The park has beautiful scenery on the Francis Slocum Trail and Lake Trails. There are lovely views of the lake, the forest is relaxing and there is plenty of small wildlife to be seen. Best of all for hiking with kids, the terrain is fairly level, the trails are well marked and maintained and most important, most of the trails are loops so you end up right where you started out. Just don’t forget the bug repellent!
Gorgeous Summer Hikes
After our skill level improved some we went seeking a bit more of a challenge. Hickory Run State Park was perfect for us. This is a very large state park with tracts of wild rhododendron bushes that bloom mid summer. Hiking trails range from the very easy and child friendly beach side hikes to the very difficult Boulder Field Trail hike. There are over 40 miles of trails here, so there is something for everyone.
A Real Challenge
We saved the hardest and possibly the most lovely for last. Rickett’s Glen State Park is home to twenty-one waterfalls are along the Falls Trail. If you want a day hike with some bite, the full loop is a bit over 7 miles. If you just want to see most of the falls then stay on the upper loop for a challenging 3 mile loop trail. The steep and slippery terrain is dangerous so be very careful. People have slipped and fallen to their deaths here.. so it’s not just an empty warning. At the same time, this is a very heavily hiked trail most of the year. So don’t be too afraid!
A Few Last Tips
If you’ve never hiked before, don’t panic! It’s easy and inexpensive to start. In general, all you need are a good pair of comfortable but hiking friendly shoes or sandals, a map of the place you will be hiking (PA state parks provide these free at ranger stations), a compass (and how to read it), a small first aid kit/quick repair kit (I always carry around bandages, bug spray, antiseptic gel for me and a needle and thread and some duct tape for my shoes and napsack) and lastly but very importantly, water. Never leave home to hike without your water. Plan at least a liter each for adults a day and about the same for kids. And have fun!