Big Pocono State Park

Big Pocono State Park

View along the Vista Trail - Big Pocono State Park - Photo credit: Daniela Wagstaff View along the Vista Trail - Big Pocono State Park - Photo credit: Daniela Wagstaff

Hike along the old Wilkes-Barre and Eastern railroad grade and up Camelback Mountain for top-of-the-world views.

41.03597, -75.34211

From the Riday's Gate parking area, begin the hike by crossing the yellow metal gate and proceeding along the abandoned railroad grade of the historic WB&E (Wilkes-Barre and Eastern) Railroad which operated from 1892 to 1939. This part of the hike is not shown on the park map. The railroad grade ascends ever so gradually, barely noticeable as you walk along. Look behind you to see the...

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Trip Reports

rate experience
December 22, 2016
5
Did this hike today
Did this hike today. Directions were on point and accurate. Views from the top of the mountain were spectacular. Doing this hike in the winter was a good choice, since the snow covers the rocky parts of the trail and the lack of leaves affords a nice view through the trees.
bromli
September 15, 2016
0
great hike with lots of variety
<p>Did this hike today (9/15/16), and it's a hike with a great deal of variety.&nbsp; The first section (along the railroad bed) is, almost by definition, quite flat, but you are quite aware of how much work went into that level grade, with alternating hugely built-up sections alternating with almost canyon-like cuts in the bedrock.&nbsp; Then you get to do some serious climbing up to the essentially flat top of Camelback Mtn.&nbsp; The views from&nbsp;there are quite spectacular, though no photograph can possibly do justice to the panoramas to both the north and south.&nbsp; I was&nbsp;amazed that one could clearly see the Devil's Path section of the Catskill Mountains, which are about 100 miles to the north.&nbsp; (The weather today was exceptionally good, with quite clean air.&nbsp; It's probably worth mentioning that you should schedule this hike on such a day; otherwise you'll probably see a big smudge from the top!)&nbsp; The views along the Indian Trail were also great.&nbsp; Finally, there is the descent, which is generally moderate.</p> <p>A couple of comments about the typically excellent writeup:&nbsp; (1) The sign-in box mentioned is clearly still there, but no longer operational, as the box is nailed shut.&nbsp; (2) There are a couple of spots on the North Trail ascent where&nbsp;there were forks (first one at N 41º02'48.1, W 75º20'30.8" and the second one at N 41º02'44.9", W 75º20'33.5"), and it wasn't obvious which way to go.&nbsp; It turns out that it doesn't really matter as the left fork in both cases is a switchback that avoids quite steep sections of the original trail.</p>
KellnerB
October 24, 2012
0
map link
<p>Here is a new link for the trail map: <a href="http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/ucmprd1/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_004983.pdf">http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/ucmprd1/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_004983.pdf</a></p>
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