My First Visit To Big Pocono State Park And The First Time I Was On Camelback Mountain in 35 years.
Last Saturday was the first time I set foot on Camelback Mountain in Monroe County in over 35 years. Well, actually I never “set foot” on the mountain before, I was on skis. . I spent many a frigid Winter night on the ski lift and then skiing down this mountain. It was only a few days ago I learned the Camelback Mountain ski resort is located in Big Pocono State Park. 
I also learned that Camelback Mountain is not a mountain but is actually an extension of the vast Pocono Plateau. And I learned whatever it is, it is a great place to watch the sunrise, as I did on my first visit to Big Pocono State Park..
I decided to visit Big Pocono State Park because it is close and I read there were a lot of birds and timber rattlesnakes atop the mountain. And I read it was a great place to watch the sunrise and sunset. So I left my home in Hazle Township early and took the one hour drive to the park arriving shortly before sunrise at 6:07 a.m.
I enjoyed the panoramic view of the Poconos Mountains and the Delaware Water Gap in the distance. It was windy atop the mountain as I walked around parking lot number 2. There was only one other vehicle with two people watching the sunrise with me.
Big Pocono State Park is a 1300 acre park located atop Camelback Mountain, and, like Salt Springs State Park in Susquehanna County, it is also managed jointly by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and a private entity, the Camelback Ski Resort.
The land in the park was originally owned by Henry S. Cattell and he built a stone cabin atop the mountain in 1908 which still stands there today. The State acquired the land after his death and eventually entered the agreement with Camelback Resort where they would get a license for the ski resort in exchange for maintaining the State Park.
I watched the sunrise rom near the Cattell Cabin and took in the panoramic view from atop the mountain. In the distance I saw this raptor trying to fly into the strong northwesterly wind and was stationary in the headwind. I believe it was a peregrine falcon. 
After watching the sunrise I walked on the Nature Trail which took me through a grove of pitch pines, 
and then I followed the parking lot access road to the trailhead of the the Indian Trail. 
The trail took me along the eastern ridge of Camelback Mountain through a hardwood forest with witch hazel, American chestnut, black birch, stripped maple and mostly oak trees. 
I still remember the first time I saw a stripped maple or moosewood tree. It was on a similar mountain ridge on Stony Mountain near my home in Hazle Township. I never saw the leaves of this tree while I hiked on the ridge while in college. I purchased my first Peterson field guide on trees to identify the tree. 
Hay-scented ferns also were growing all along the trail. 
The trail was strewn with rocks as it descended the ridge. 
I saw a few red efts crawling on the trail. This is the land stage of the eastern-spotted newt’s. I was surprised to see on atop the 2100 foot mountain ridge. 
As I approached the eastern side of the mountain I encountered more rocks along the trail,
and even larger boulders along the ridge. It was still cool in the air morning air so I didn’t see any timber rattlesnakes, 
but I finally did see my first song bird on my hike, this black and white warbler. I believe that many of the warblers and vireos are already beginning their migration south. I was hoping to see more birds on this hike. 
I came to a clearing with an eastern view. Here I saw a few raptors in the tree tops but they quickly flew off before I could get a photo. 
The trail now followed the south side of the ridge in a westerly direction, however, I somehow lost the Indian Trail and followed an unmarked trail lower on the ridge. 
This trail was even more rocky than the upper trail,
with large boulders on the ridge above the trail. 
The trees were similar to those I saw earlier, with a lot of shagbark hickory trees. Hickory nuts were scattered along the trail. 
There were some more American chestnut trees growing along the trail. These have not yet been infected by the chestnut blight that desolated the chestnut forest last century. Some were producing chestnuts but they will eventually succumb to the blight and die before reaching maturity. 
It was a little slow going as I followed the narrow, rocky, unmarked trail along the southern ridge of Camelback Mountain but I enjoyed the solitude of the hike. The morning sun filtered through the trees and I could see glimpses of the horizon in gaps in the canopy of leavers along and above the trail. 
The trail eventually met up with the South Trail. 
I followed it back up the ridge, coming to the Indian Trail I had lost, and then continuing west along the ridge on the South Trail. The South Trail was wider, covered with grass and much easier to hike on. I encountered a few folks walking along the trail. 
I also saw some more bird activity on this trail, there was a flock of black-capped chickadees fluttering through the trees along the trail and ridge, 
and where there are black-capped chickadees I usually find other birds and I did on Saturday, including this female scarlet tanager,
a family of eastern wood pee wees, 
this hairy woodpecker,
a pair of Carolina wrens singing their cheerful songs,
a red eyed vireo,
this eastern towhee
and this tufted titmouse. Once I walked past this area of the trail I did not see any different song birds on my hike along the mountain ridge. 
I did find some mushrooms growing in the grass under the shade of the trees including this blusher amanita mushroom., 
this rosy russula mushroom
and this voluminous milk cap lactarius mushroom. 
The wide grassy trail, lined with hay-scented ferns in some areas, continued along the ridge for about a mile, providing some views of the Delaware Water Gap in the distance.
It then turned north and continued back up the ridge, and through a grove of pitch pine trees
before ending on the Camelback Mountain Road. 
Instead of turning around and hiking back on the South Trail I decided to follow the roads back to the parking lot. I hoped to see some different species of birds along the road or maybe some raptors flying overhead. 
It was a nice hike on the road. There was little motor vehicle traffic. Only six cars drove by me until I reached the North Rim Road and I didn’t see a single car on this road. There wasn’t much bird activity either. However there were some insects visiting the native bee balm,
and pearly everlasting flowers blooming along the road. 
Near where I entered the Rim Road I came to the portion of the mountain which the ski resort manages. 
Seeing the buildings and ski lifts brought back memories of those cold, but carefree nights skiing down the slopes of this mountain and then enjoying a few drinks with friends near the fireplace in the lodge. 
I followed the road back to the parking lot, 
enjoying the beautiful views the mountaintop provided.
The only birds I saw on my walk were a lot of turkey vultures using the updrafts created by the heat from the sun to soar high into the sky. 
At the parking lot I had only hiked about five miles so I decided to hike on the North Trail. 
I re-traced my earlier steps to the Indian Trail,
and walked a short distance on the North Trail. It took me down a steep, rocky incline, and I decided, after already hiking 5 miles I didn’t went to hike back up. 
So I returned back to the Indian Trail and followed it back to the vista on the eastern side of the mountain. I was hoping to find some timber rattlesnakes sunning themselves on the rocks but I didn’t see any snakes or birds on the trail.
I did see this deer, which stopped to get a look at me. 
And, I did encounter quite a few folks hiking on the trail, including a lot of families and younger folks. It was nice to see so many people enjoying, and hopefully appreciating the beauty of nature. 
As I was finishing my 7 mile hike I saw this hawk, I believe it was a red tailed hawk soaring above the ridge. It would be the last bird I saw. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photo of the birds and plants I saw on my hike on Camelback Mountain. Big Pocono State Park flora and fauna August 10 2024. 
Before leaving the State Park I stopped to enjoy the spectacular views of the Pocono Mountains and Plateau form the parking lot. I didn’t see a lot of wildlife on this hike to share with my friends who follow my blog and social media posts, but I enjoyed the beautiful views and solitude of the trails. I hope to return soon, much sooner than the 35 years than my last visit. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos from on my hike on Camelback Mountain. Big Pocono State Park August 10 2024. 
“There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love”. Washington Irving
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