A Visit To Nearby Tuscarora State Park And Another Hike On The Spirit Of Tuscarora Trail

After visiting  nearby Locust Lake State Park on Saturday I decided to visit Tuscarora State Park on Sunday. Located near Locust Lake State Park in Schuylkill County it is even closer to my home in Luzerne County.  The 1600 acre park opened in June of 1971. My family didn’t take many vacations when I was a child but I remember a family picnic at Tuscarora State Park shortly after it opened.  I remember my dad swimming in the lake with my baby brother like it was yesterday.

It was cloudy and humid when I arrived at the park early Sunday morning. I walked down to the beach recalling my childhood picnic. It was a wonderful memory. Cloud covered  Locust Mountain loomed over the lake. It was quiet, the beach was  closed to swimming because of the water quality. It was a perfect place to reflect on my younger years, and the great childhood memories I had here and throughout the woods of Northeastern Pennsylvania. My dad thought us to appreciate and love nature.

There were a few folks  fishing in boats on the lake. As I walked along the empty beach  I met a friend who now works in the park.

After a pleasant conversation, I walked up to the Spirit of Tuscarora Trail. I have hiked this trail, created by Dennis  “Pap” Nauss  in 1989 a number of times.   He still maintains the trail.  This is a link to a blog post from 10 years ago when I met “Pap” on the trail. https://keepyoureyespeeled.net/tuscarora-state-park-its-got-a-lot-more-than-just-swimming/

The trail  follows the ridge above the lake and through a mixed hardwood/ hemlock forest.

Like in Locust Lake State Park, there are also thick groves of rhododendron shrubs along the trail.

And, like the ones I saw  in Locust lake   they are past their peak, with only a few of the beautiful flowers still blooming.

I  found some mushrooms along the trail, these  platerful mushrooms,

and a chicken of the woods mushrooms, both are edible, but were  too old to harvest.

Also growing along the trail were Indian or ghost pipes.   Although they look like a fungus they are actually flowering plants, a species of heath, and related to mountain laurel, rhododendrons, and blueberries. They lack the green pigment chlorophyll  provided by sunshine. They obtain their nutrition  from a complex process involving fungi and the roots of trees.

The trail descended the ridge and took me to the lake.

There were many hay scented ferns,

and these  flowering  Canadian wood nettles growing along the trail. Walking into a patch of these will result in some stinging pain, but it is only temporary.

The trail then continued up a ridge,

and became steep at times.

The trail was lined with  hay-scented ferns,

Here I encountered  some American toads, as I have on all my previous hikes on the  trail.

The trail once again descended the ridge and down to the Locust Creek taking me through more through thick groves of rhododendrons,

Most of the rhododendrons  were done blooming. The ground was strewn with the fallen petals, but a few plants still had some beautiful blooms.

The trail came to the Locust Creek where I  saw some native trout swimming in the fast flowing waters.

Here I heard and saw this black throated blue warbler.

It’s blue color was apparent in the dim light under the tall trees along the trail.

I also saw a few ovenbirds here,

this gray catbird,

and a flock of tufted titmice.

I followed the trail along the creek, and

 came to the famous “Spirit Tree”  for which the trail was named. I reflected on the tree that inspired the trail. It was probably struck by lightning and, depending on the angle, the moss covered tree stump resembles different faces or “spirits”.

I continued on the trail which  took me through some more thick groves of rhododendrons,

and then to a bridge over the Locust Creek. This is the same creek that was dammed and created  the lake in Locust Creek State Park where I hiked the day before.

I crossed the creek and l followed trail  upstream .

There wasn’t much wildlife or bird activity along the creek. I only saw a few American robins.

And, being mid- Summer there weren’t a lot of wildflowers blooming on the trail. I only saw a few fringed loosestrife flowers,

and yarrow flowers in bloom.

There were a few more mushrooms including this stink horn mushroom,

these older,

 and younger blusher mushrooms , a   species of Amanita mushroom,

this green-cracking russula mushroom ,

and this edible red/yellow bolete mushroom.

The trail followed the creek and took me through another thick grove of rhododendrons.

I came to a clearing with this old bench covered with moss. I wondered when it was first place here. I’m guessing around 1989 when the trail first opened. I reflected on the first folks who may have use it, and the many others after that., including the last ones.

A new picnic table was recently installed.

The trail continued up a ridge ,

above the creek, and to Tuscarora Mountain Drive ,

where the “Spirit of Tuscarora “trail  ended or began.

I was out about 2 1/2 miles and began my hike back to the park. I don’t see much wildlife in the way, a few of the same birds I saw on my hike out,and this pretty black throated green warbler, another bird of the mature forest. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog web page with some more photos of the birds I saw on hike on the Spirit of Tuscarora Trail.  Tuscarora State Park birds July 13 2025.

I did meet a friendly couple from Harrisburg and we chatted about the beauty of the park and trail.

Sadly, I noticed some invasive Japanese stilt grass growing on the trail. This fast spreading invasive species is overtaking and destroying many of the native ferns, plants and mushrooms in our woodlands and forest. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog web page with some more photos of the wildflowers, plants and mushrooms  I saw on my 5 mile  hike on the Spirit of Tuscarora Trail.  Tuscarora State Park plants, and mushrooms July 13 2025.

It was a nice hike back under  the canopy of leave   in the mature forest.

Although the beach was closed, and many of the picnic area were empty.I did see a few families enjoying a picnic in the park, and I enjoyed the smell of the campfires from the nearby yurts and cottages. I hope to camp in one of the yurts someday. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog web page with some more photos from my 5 mile  hike on the Spirit of Tuscarora Trail.  Tuscarora State Park  July 13 2025.

As I ended my hike, the smell from the campfires brought back memories of my first camping trip. I was a 10 year old Cub scout when I camped in Hickory Run State Park with my Cub Scout  Pack. I hope to visit Hickory Run State park next,  and  share some of it’s beauty and my memories. I love our State Parks and Forests.

“Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson

“If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.” –Vincent van Gogh