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Hiking N' Biking
Can be enjoyed while staying at Sweet Valley Cottages.

  Ricketts Glen State Park
only a short 8 minute ride from Sweet Valley Cottages

  
     
 Ricketts Glen harbors Glens Natural Area, a National Natural Landmark. Take the Falls Trail and 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 scenic area. 
     
Ricketts Glen State Park entrance to the trails, is 8 Miles West of
Sweet Valley Cottages on Route 118

Hiking at Ricketts Glen State Park 

26 miles of trails

Trails vary from fairly level to very steep hills. The 26 miles of trails are a prime attraction of the park.

CAUTION: Hikers on the Falls Trail should be in good physical condition, wear sturdy boots, and use caution due to slippery/wet conditions and steep trail sections.

Falls Trail: 7.2 miles, difficult hiking
The full loop of this trail is 7.2 miles if hiking both the upper and lower sections. To see most of the waterfalls, a 3.2-mile loop can be taken by going on Highland Trail and the Glen Leigh and Ganoga Glen sides of the trail. The trails follow along 21 beautiful waterfalls ranging in heights from 11-feet to 94-feet. The scenery is well worth the effort, however, the terrain is rocky, can be slippery, and descends steeply on both the Ganoga and Glen Leigh sides. Hikers should take extra precautions with trail conditions, wear proper footwear, stay on the trail, and be in good physical condition.

Cherry Run Trail: 4.6 miles, moderate hiking
In the same vicinity of the Lake Leigh dam is access to the Cherry Run Trail, where hikers will pass through groves of cherry trees and view evidence of the old logging railroads that passed through this area over 100 years ago.

Evergreen Trail: 1 mile, easy hiking
Self-guiding tours take visitors into old growth forest, one of the few stands remaining in all of Pennsylvania. Hikers can see a hemlock that stood on this continent before Columbus. This is an easy, 1 mile hike into the past.

Ganoga View Trail: 2.8 miles, moderate hiking
Named after the park’s highest waterfall, this trail allows hikers to walk up to the side of Ganoga Falls without having to hike the Falls Trail. Although the trail is easy to moderate hiking, use caution where it meets Falls Trail due to the switchbacks and drop-offs. Ganoga View along with the Old Beaver Dam Road Trail makes an excellent loop trail for hikers and cross-country skiers.

Grand View Trail: 1.9-mile, moderate hiking
This trail takes hikers to the highest point on Red Rock Mountain (elevation 2,449 ft). In mid-June, the beautiful mountain laurel is in bloom, followed in late June to early July by the rhododendron. The best view is during the limited time that the fire tower is open (fire season in the spring and fall). In mid-July, the high bush blueberries bear fruit, and in the fall, you have an awe inspiring view of the fall foliage encompassing the surrounding hillsides, making this trail a pleasant hike at any time of the year.

Highland Trail: 1.2-mile, moderate hiking
The trail cuts across the top of the Falls Trail and crosses through Midway Crevasse, a narrow passageway between large blocks of Pocono sandstone conglomerates that were deposited throughout this area by glacial movements. At least three times in the last one million years, continental glaciers buried this land under hundreds of feet of ice. This trail makes an excellent area for geological study groups.

Mountain Springs Trail: 4 miles, moderate hiking
Heading off of the beaten path, this trail takes hikers on a 4-mile hike past the old Lake Leigh dam, the forgotten falls, and down the south branch of Bowmans Creek to the serene Mountain Springs Lake area.

Old Beaver Dam Road Trail: 1.2-mile, moderate hiking
Named for the old beaver dam that can be seen just off of the trail, this trail makes an excellent loop trail for hikers and cross-country skiers. Access is from a small pull-off off of PA 487, or from the Lake Rose parking lot.

Old Bulldozer Road Trail: 2.9 miles, difficult hiking
With its unique name (once used by a bulldozer to get to the top of the mountain to build the park), comes quite an elevation change. Accessed from the parking lot on PA 118, this trail is used by hikers and snowmobilers to access Mountain Springs Trail. Although most of the trail is easy to moderate hiking, a short section just up from the bottom is very steep.

 
TRAIL DESCRIPTION:  18.5 mile packed gravel trail for cyclists, walkers and nature lovers along the west side of the Susquehanna River. Phase 1, approximately 10 miles in length, between the PPL Riverlands Park to three miles north of Shickshinny is currently nearing completion, and should be officially open to the public in spring of 2008.

This 18.5 mile trail will be located parallel to State Route 11 and the Susquehanna River between the Pennsylvania Power and Light (PPL) Riverlands Park in Salem Township north to Larksville Borough. This nearly flat trail will have a gravel surface and six (6) trail heads. This trail connects to the Mocanaqua loop hiking trails across the river from the Borough of Shickshinny.

THINGS TO SEE:  Trail users will be treated to scenic views of Susquehanna River Valley, including dramatic geology and wildlife. Eagles have been sighted near the town of Shickshinny. The PPL Riverlands park at the far southern end of the trail provides picnic spots, fishing, geocaches, a Planet Walk and playgrounds. You can see remnants of the old North Branch Canal in the Riverlands park, and along the Susquehanna Warrior Trail. View State Correctional Institute (SCI) Retreat, from across the river; this facility, now a prison, was historically a tuberculosis sanatorium. And, you can bike to the Garden Drive-In in Hunlock Creek to see a movie during summer months; call (570)735- 5933 for the Drive-In.
http://www.susquehannawarriortrail.org/

TRAIL DESCRIPTION:  Trail is open from Borough of Luzerne to the Trucksville community, length 2.2 miles, surface packed gravel.

When complete, the Back Mountain Trail will feature 13 miles of winding scenic routes linking natural features and developing suburban communities, running along hillsides and through wooded areas. This trail parallels the route of Toby’s Creek, and largely will follow the route of a Lehigh Valley Rail line that was originally developed by an ice merchant in the 1880’s. This trail is in the scenic and rapidly developing Back Mountain community. The Back Mountain Trail is poised to begin construction on an additional 2.3 mile trail extension.
http://bmt.editthispage.com/

Luzerne County Levee Trail System

TRAIL DESCRIPTION: Eight foot wide asphalt paved trail on top of Susquehanna River Levee. There are about 12 miles of trail in total, in four different “reaches” on both the east and west sides of the river. This trail is open to walkers, joggers, bikers, dog-walkers, and roller-bladers. Benches and kiosks along the trail offer a place to rest and learn about the Wyoming Valley.

This trail also includes connections to key bridges: the Market Street, and Pierce Street bridges in Wilkes-Barre and the Carey Avenue Bridge in Hanover Township and Plymouth Borough, allowing bicyclists and pedestrians to cross the river.

The four reaches of the Levee Trail are: the First Resident’s Path/Forty Fort Reach, the Anthracite Heritage Walk/Kingston Reach, the Riverside Ramble/Wilkes-Barre and Hanover Reach, and the Plymouth Passage/Plymouth Reach.

TEMPORARILY CLOSED -Moon Lake County Park
only a short 6 minute ride from Sweet Valley Cottages

Hiking - The 20 miles of hiking trails do double duty as cross-country skiing trails in the winters. Trail guides are available at the park office.

600 acres of field and forest, 48 acres of lake.
Just off route 29 South,     570 477-5467

Frances Slocum State Park
only a short 16 minute ride from Sweet Valley Cottages

The horseshoe-shaped lake provides 165 acres for boating and fishing. The forests and fields of the park are habitat for a diversity of wildlife. The park is named for a young girl who was kidnapped by a Lenni Lenape raiding party in 1778. Frances Slocum spent her first night of captivity in a rock shelter in the park.

Swimming: The swimming pool is open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day, unless posted otherwise.

Fishing: Anglers will enjoy the wide selection of warm water species. Frances Slocum Lake has crappie, bluegill, perch, catfish, muskellunge, pickerel, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass and walleye.

Trucksville, PA   570-696-3525

Take Route 309 South approximately 6 miles. Turn right (east) on Carverton Road and go approximately 4 miles (4.2). Turn left (north) on 8th Street Road and go approximately one mile (1.3). Turn left (west) onto Mt. Olivet Road and go one mile. The park entrance is on the left.

only a short 30 minute ride from Sweet Valley Cottages

Council Cup Scenic Overlook  

This 88-acre tract is owned by PPL and operated  in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Council Cup, located approximately 700 feet above the Susquehanna River Valley, provides a breathtaking view of over 30 miles.This scenic overlook was used in the past as a lookout and meeting place by Native Americans. Now it's heavily used during the fall color season and as a hawk watch.      http://www.pplweb.com/susquehanna+riverlands

Save the fish!