Well so much for the nice snow we had on Christmas eve. Most of it was washed away by the warmer temperatures and the rain. Nonetheless it was a beautiful day for a hike. I know a lot of people would disagree with me, but I love the rain. I love weather. Maybe that comes from living in California where it was sunny every day and there wasn’t much variation in weather. We did 7 mile loop starting at the Fireline Trailhead. Really enjoyed the foggy mist. Stopped and had a bite to eat along Hickory Run. Great day.
Hickory Run is a beautiful State Park. I remember coming here years ago with my parents and walking the peaceful trails. Back then there were no crowds. Nowadays the park has become quite popular, especially on weekends. There are so many trails in this park, but it appears the two most popular hikes are Hawk Falls and the Shades of Death Trail. I hiked both of those earlier in the year and they were both lovely trails. But now that I’m starting to learn the lay of the land here on the east coast, I have discovered so many other beautiful trails and not just the ones that seem to get so much attention on social media.
It was a cloudy, overcast day and the drive up to the Pocono Mountains on the I-80 was abundant with fall foliage. I planned to start my hike on the Fireline Trail which was noted in the park brochure as having a picturesque overlook of the Lehigh River and Lehigh Gorge State Park. About .5 miles into the hike I arrived at the overlook. The view down to the river did not disappoint and neither did the endless colorful foliage. I then continued my way along the Firelinetrail until I reached the junction for the Skyline Trail. Skyline took me on a narrow path working its way across the side of the mountain with continuous views of the Lehigh River to the west. It was a beautiful trail and I had very nice views of the surrounding mountains, again full of that gorgeous fall color. From here I intersected with the Hickory Run Trail, which as it’s name promised, took me along Hickory Run. I walked along the run enjoying the peaceful sound of the small stream until intersecting with the Switchback Trail. The Switchback Trail climbed back up the mountain to Skyline and then Fireline before arriving back at the trailhead. Before leaving the park, I took a short trip over to see a small chapel that was built in the 1800s. It sits tucked away in the woods just off the side of the road. I got out to explore for a bit and came upon the abandoned Manor House structure. Both buildings are structures left of the town that was once known as Hickory Run. There is quite a bit of history here and you can read up on it on the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources website. I hope to get back to this area again to do more exploring, especially now with our beautiful weather and amazing autumn colors.
