A Cloudy And Quiet Walk In Locust Lake State Park

I decided to hike in nearby Locust Lake State Park in Schuykill County last Saturday. There are so many great places to hike here in Northeastern Pennsylvania but I wanted to stay close to home.  It was  my great nephew Ethan’s 5th  birthday and his party was  in the afternoon.  I also wanted to smell campfire smoke. I love the smell of campfire smoke and hadn’t had many fires in my backyard this Summer. .

I had  a few choices.  Hickory Run, Tuscarora  and Locust Lake State Parks. I am fortunate to live within  a 1/2 hour drive from all three of these state parks. ( There is a 4th state park nearby  , Beltzville State Park,  but there is no camping there). I decided on Locust Lake because I knew there have been some recent  bald eagle sightings there. Locust Lake State Park is located in Ryan Township in Schuylkill County. It is a 1100 acre park with a 52 acre lake nestled in the mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania which opened in 1972. .  My first visit to the park was on a cold January day when I was in college and  went ice fishing with some friends.

The forecast called for partly sunny skies. However as I drove  to the park I encountered  a thick fog  and it was cloudy when I arrived. It was warm and humid with temperatures in the low 70’s. The trails in the park are located in the camping area.  If you are not camping you have to park at lot near the entrance and walk in about a 1/2 mile to reach the Oak Loop trail head. After parking my Jeep ,  I first walked to the lake where I saw a few fishermen and boaters on the water. Unfortunately,  no bald eagles.

I did see  a few rough winged swallows perched on the rails along the road.

I walked along the lake,

and checked out the books in this  free little library box. 

I  came to an old camp store that is now closed

I followed the trail to the north access road that led  to the campsites.

Large oak trees grow along the ridge above the road. Like on my previous visits I was greeted with the beautiful  and haunting song of the many wood thrushes that  inhabit the woodlands In Locust Lake State Park.  I think Locust Lake has the greatest number of wood thrushes I have seen on my many  hikes in the Commonwealth.

I also saw a few common  grackles along the road.

Hay-scented ferns,

and a few rosy rusulla mushrooms were growing along the road.

A large turkey vulture was perched in a tree. I also heard a few yellow warblers and a Baltimore oriole but wasn’t able to get a photo of these birds.

There were also a lot of eastern chipmunks scurrying along the road. I would see dozens of them on my five mile hike,

What I didn’t see, hear and smell were the campers, their voices and the smoke form their fires. I only saw deserted campsites.

I would soon learn that there was no camping in this section of the park because of major renovations to the campsite facilities.

I walked through the empty campsites.

  On previous morning visits  to the park they would be bustling with campers, their children and pets.  Smoke from the campfires would fill the forest as well as the aroma of breakfast cooking on dozens of campfires and  outdoor stoves.  I enjoyed the quiet but missed the smell of the smoke. I visited many of the  empty campsites reflecting  on the folks who camped here. Where were they from? Was it a one time visit or were they regulars? Was it a solo traveler roaming the country or a family who visited often? Were they young or were they old? So many good memories were made here I thought.   My favorite campsite was number 239. It was set off in the woods and near a stream, I hope to camp here someday.

I left this campground and walked down to the empty beach, again I reflected on all the memories that were made here.

I left the quiet beach and walked  over to the Oak Loop  Trail.

Here I saw the first of many rhododendron shrub I would see on the rest of my five mile hike.

These beautiful native flowers were just past their peak bloom.

I followed the trail along the Locust Creek,

where I found many cinnamon or fiddlehead ferns growing along  banks of the creek. 

After crossing a bridge over the creek,

I  came to the Tree identification Boy Scout project along the trail.

Here the trail took me up a ridge along a stream . A  light rain fell  started to fall. I was wondering where the sunshine in the forecast was.  

I was found a few  mushrooms growing on the trail including these large bitter bolete mushrooms and

these yellow patches, a species of Amanita mushrooms.

This is an old  mushroom that has gone to spore I found along the trail. .

There were a few red efts crawling long the stepp rocky  trail,

which took me up the ridge. I followed it up about a 1/2 mile.  The only birds I was hearing and seeing were the many wood thrushes. I loved hearing their song in the forest.  I decided to head back down,

and on the way saw this fledgling. I wasn’t sure what it was.

When I got home and had my Merlin app try to identify it a different identification came up with each photo I submitted. It identified it as a rose breast gros beak, a Lincoln sparrow , a field  sparrow or a purple finch. I submitted it to a bird identification page on Face book and was told it was a warbler,  an ovenbird fledgling. I was also told that warbler fledglings are difficult to identify since very few are seen before they change into their adult plumage. It was a lucky sighting I was told. 

I also  saw this red eyed vireo,

and, this beautiful  male scarlet tanager.

The female scarlet tanager was nearby with an insect it caught. I don’t often see the females.

I continued down the trail and saw another of my favorite deep woods birds a black throated green warbler.

I followed the trail back down to the Locust Creek ,

and then followed the park road back to the entrance.

It took me along the lake,

and past this outdoor theater. I imaged many happy memories from folks sitting here under the stars.

There were a lot more people in the park now. I heard voices , laughs and shouts on the beach across the lake from youngsters swimming there. There were a lot of families walking with children on the road and a lot of small boats on the lake.What was the smell of smoke from the campfires. It was one of the main reasons I came. The campsites on this side of the lake were closed too. I heard about the closings but thought they’d be temporary and not completely end the camping at Locust Lake.

I began my hike back to the entrance seeing some more mushroom growing along the trail. These are blusher mushrooms a species of amanita mushrooms.

And this  a  hemlock varnish shelf mushroom.

A few spotted  wintergreen flowers bloomed under the oak and hemlock trees along the trail.

I walked past the empty campsites were, on previous walks the sounds of the campers would fill the forest as would the smoke from their fires.I followed  the road which continued  over  the crest of the  Locust Lake dam.  I had only walked a little over 3 1/2 miles. I usually walk 5 miles so I walked up the road to the campsite now closed for the the construction.Here I saw and heard a lot more wood thrushes ,

a few American robins,

and a lot more eastern chipmunks.

I walked up about a 1/2 mile and thyen returned to the lake.  I walked across the crest and saw  more construction below the lake.

Rain began again  as I walked over the crest of the dam. Here as I saw this eastern blue bird fledgling.,

and  an adult on a rail along the road..

The shower was brief and the strong July sun broke through the clouds, immediately raising the temperature. It also brought out some butterflies. There was a lot of spotted knapweed, and milkweed plants along the road.It was now near noon and I didn’t have time to wait and photograph the many insects and butterflies attracted to them. I did get a photo of this spice bush swallowtail butterfly on a milkweed flower.

This is one of the manyu  American goldfinchs also visiting the flowers along the road. . Here is a link to a gallery on my blog page with some more photos of the birds I saw on my five mile hike. Locust Lake  Park birds July 12 2025.

This whitetail deer was walking on the Locust Creek below the road.

Morning glory , and

daisy fleabane flowers were also blooming on the trail as I finished my five mile hike.  Here is a link to a gallery on my blog page with some more photos from   my five mile hike. Locust Lake State Park  July 12 2025.

I didn’t see the bald eagles, a  lot of wildlife or bird activity but it was another great hike in one of the many state parks and forest we are blessed to have here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. I don’t like our long cold Winters anymore, but it is still my favorite place to live on  this planet.  As always.   I am glad I can share some of it’ s beauty  I find on my hikes.  here on my blog.

 

“In a world that is becoming increasingly virtual, the parks remain places of visceral beauty. Places where we can remember that we are but a small part of the life on this planet, and that is a truly wonderful planet and the only one we’ve got.” – Nevada Barr

 

 

 

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