Lehigh Gap Nature Center Loop

Lehigh Gap Nature Center

Along the North Trail NE approaching Devil's Pulpit in Lehigh Gap Nature Center - Photo credit: Daniela Wagstaff Along the North Trail NE approaching Devil's Pulpit in Lehigh Gap Nature Center - Photo credit: Daniela Wagstaff

Just north of the Appalachian Trail lies a side of the Kittatinny Ridge denuded by a century of industrial pollution.  Now undergoing revitalization, a well-blazed network of multi-tiered hiking trails - from river level to mountain ridges - provides miles of panoramic views into the Lehigh Gap and Pocono region.

40.784222, -75.609287

From the parking lot at the Nature Center’s Osprey House, start walking out the way you drove in, watching for stone steps leading up to the right at a large sign for the Prairie Warbler Trail.  Follow this trail uphill along interpretive signs explaining the revitalization in progress.  In 0.15 mile reach an intersection where the Prairie Warbler Trail continues to the right to form a...

Prepare For Your Hike

Let's Go

Trip Reports

rate experience
June 28, 2017
5
great hike
I just did this hike today. I decided to cut it short by skipping the charcoal trail entirely and completing the hike as a lollipop loop. Completed it in about 3 and a half hours. The views along the ridge are great, and are much worth the difficult climb. Seeing those small country towns from way high up was very cool. Once you get onto the ridge some parts of the trail are classic rocksylvania and some parts are easy dirt paths. I did find something interesting near the end of the ridge. Somebody left a pink backpack with some food and toiletries in it. I guess its a supply drop for some Appalachian thru hikers. I took the liberty of evicting a beetle from a bag and adding some nutri grain bars and a pair of sunglasses.
bromli
September 05, 2016
0
I am not the author of this hike
<p>I should point out that the references to my name in the above comment are misplaced. &nbsp;This hike was written by Daniella Wagstaff, not by me, and I have never done this hike myself.</p>
Daniel Chazin
September 05, 2016
0
amazing!
<p>I did this hike earlier today (9/5/16), and it was amazing! The hike up to and along the Appalachian Trail was fine, but nothing special, but the return part of the loop (North Trail/Charcoal Trail/LNE Trail) was stupendous! Usually on a hike, you get very few and far between vistas, but you have great views for much of the hike once you shift over to the North Trail.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>A few comments about the original writeup: (1) The Woodpecker Trail now has orange blazes (not pink as Mr. Chazin indicates). (2) The description of the vicinity of the North Trail/former trail to the Devil’s Pulpit/Charcoal Trail is no longer correct. As a previous poster has indicated, the trail to the Devil’s Pulpit no longer officially exists. At N 40º47'07.8", W 075º37'00.4", there is the signpost which Mr. Chazin talks about (North Trail NE &amp; North Trail SW). As you approach this sign (from the west), make a very sharp turn to the left on a trail which has yellow blazes. In about 1/3 mile, you will see a sign for the Charcoal Trail, which is more or less a continuation of the yellow-blazed trail. (There is a faint trail going off to the right at this point; possibly this is the former trail to the Devil’s Pulpit?) Once you’re on the Charcoal Trail, you’ll see the orange blazes that Mr. Chazin indicates. (Note that what is now blazed in yellow also has some residual blue showing through the over-painted yellow. On the Nature Center’s map, indeed this section is marked in blue, but this was presumably changed to yellow on the ground to avoid confusion with the blue-blazed North Trail.) Regarding the Devil’s Pulpit, there are obvious (unblazed) trails going steeply up from the LNE Trail which presumably were beaten by foolhardy folks aiming for the pulpit from below.</p>
KellnerB
Log in or register to post comments