A Late Summer Hike On The Greater Hazleton Rails To Trails

Last week I saw a bear cub run across the road on my drive to the Greater Hazleton Rails to Trails. So ,after attending  the wake of a good friend early Saturday morning,  I decided to stay close to home and hike on the nearby Greater Hazleton Rails to Trails again,  hoping to see a mommy bear and her cubs and some more migratory birds.

It was another sunny and seasonably cool morning when I arrived at the trail around 9:30 a.m. I parked at the eastern trail head along the road to Hazle Brook. Like last week it was quiet when I began my hike. The song birds that I hear here in the Spring and early Summer had migrated south.

There was a little more Fall colors in the leaves along the trail but the foliage was still mostly green.  And, there were some red colors in the woods along the trail,  mostly leaves on the high bush blueberry shrubs . There were  some native white wood asters blooming along the trail, 

and a few  milkweed plants that  had produced their seed pods,

with some  milkweed tussock moth caterpillars  feeding on their leaves.

I also find some edible honey mushrooms growing along the trail, and

 these edible red chokeberries. There are two species of chokeberries native to Pennsylvania, these red chokeberries and black chokeberries.  Both are edible and can be made into jellies and jams.

It was still quiet as I  continued on the trail.  I didn’t  see or hear a bird until I  walked along a pole line right of way along the trail,here  I heard and saw a few red breasted nuthatches  in the trees along the pole line. These birds are no common in my area and may be migrating south. They are only short distance migrants while many stay in older,deeper woodlands during the Winter.

I also saw a few cedar waxwings high in the tree tops.

There were a lot of late Summer and Fall wildflowers blooming along the right of way road,  including, rabbit tobacco,

downy goldenrod,

wrinkleleaf goldenrod,

and American burnweed. These flowers are all native to Pennsylvania.

There were also some invasive bull thistles in bloom.

It was late in the Summer and I was surprised to see a lot of insects visiting the late blooming flowers, including quite a few  eastern bumblebees

and pearl crescents butterflies attracted to the American burnweed flowers.

Small white, and

clouded yellow butterflies fluttered near the burnweed flowers

I also saw a few great spangled fritillary  butterflies visiting the bull thistle flowers. You can tell it was late in the Summer by the wear and tear on the wings of the butterflies.

There were also dozens of grasshoppers in the grass along the trail and on the wildflowers including this red legged grasshopper,

and this is a< i believe a Scudder’s bush katydid. I will note again, I am no expert on flora and fauna and my identifications are from apps on my iPhone.

I continued on their trail which followed the border between the  older oak and pitch pine woodlands and the recently reclaimed anthracite coal strip mined area.

Here I saw terse poising pig skin puffballs.  They are actually earth star mushroom, not puff balls.

Another sing of the end of Summer were the many acorns on the scrub oaks along the trail.

I followed the trail through  a culvert tunnel under an active  coal haul road and up into the reclamation area.

Last week I saw a few migrating birds here but it was quite on Saturday morning.

There were some high clouds in the blue skies as I walked to the young birch, aspen, alder,  black locust and pine trees growing along the trail.  In the Spring migration I often see vireos and warblers here but it there no birds or other wildlife to be see on this hike.

I did see a few more wildflowers, including two flowered dwarf dandelions

great blue lobelia,

and daisy fleabane flowers, all native to our area. If you look close you can see a tiny crab spider on one of the daisy fleabane flowers.

Another sign of the late Summer was the  giant foxtail grass that has gone to seed along the trail.

I walked over the bridge which,

crosses the still active railroad track below.

The trail then proceeded through some abandoned strip mines,

then through some older oak and hemlock woodlands,

before following the old Beryllium road.  The trail continues on an abandoned railroad right of way though the lands of the local water authority  for about 4 more mile. I decide to end  my hike here.

As I walked through the oak and  hemlock woodland I saw a small flock of black and white warblers.

and black throated green warblers migrating south. It is sad to see them go and realize how quickly another Summer had passed.   Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos of the birds and insects I saw on my 4 mile hike. Greater Hazleton Rails To Trails birds and insects September 13 2025.

It was a peaceful and pleasant hike back under the clear blue skies.

I didn’t see any more birds or wildlife but I did see a few hikers, bikers and runners on the trail enjoying the beautiful morning on the trail. .

 I fisnished my hike with the late  Summer sunshine filtering through  still green canopy  of leaves at the endof the trail, I didn’t see the mommy bear and her cubs but I was glad to enjoy the birds, insect and wildflowers,  the more subtle beauty of Nature on my 4 mile hike.  Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos from   my 4 mile hike. Greater Hazleton Rails To Trails  September 13 2025.

“You must walk sometimes perfectly free, not prying or inquisitive, not bent on seeing things. Throw away a whole day for a single expansion, a single inspiration of air. …You must walk so gently as to hear the finest sounds, the faculties being in repose. …Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain.”
—Henry David Thorea