Some Nice Trails , A Few Birds And A Lot Of Hunters On My First Visit To Swatara State Park.

I was recently discussing local State Parks with a friend. We both heard of, but  neither one of us  visited, the Swatara State Park in southern Schuylkill and Lebanon County.  Swatara State Park is located  along Interstate 81 near Pine Grove about 50 miles from my home in Luzerne County. I looked into hiking here a few times but I thought it’s close proximity to the highway would make for a noisy hike because of the  interstate traffic. However, I hiked in State Game Lands in the Poconos this past Summer near  The Pennsylvania Turnpike. I heard the traffic but it was a nice hike and  I still saw a lot of birds and wildlife.

So early Saturday morning I drove down  Interstate 81 and arrived at the northwestern, and closest to my home, section of the 3500 acre park. The narrow  park is situated between the Blue and Second Mountains. I was going to park at the Swopes Valley Trail head, but saw a parking lot for Wagner Pond and decided to park and start my hike here.   I immediately liked the park when I saw the large oak trees near the parking lot.

The weak November sun still shone brilliantly in the clear blue skies. It was a cold morning with temperatures in the upper 20’s. I walked over to Wagner Pond. There was some ice on the pond but  it looked like great place to find herons, ducks, turtles and frogs in the warmer months. 

I left the parking lot,and walked over to an old bridge over the Swatara Creek.

This creek flows through the entire park and I learned is a great place to canoe and kayak.

I was going to walk over to  and hike,  on the Swatara Rail Trail but after crossing the bridge I encountered a lot of hunters dressed in orange, I had forgot that it was the first day of deer rifle season. I didn’t have my usual orange coat on but luckily I had my orange hat which I usually wear in he Fall and Winter hunting seasons. Instead of hiking over to the Swatara Rail Trail I decided on the Bear Hole Trail which starts at Wagner Pond.

The wide, well maintained gravel trail took me through a mixed hardwood woodland with mostly maple and oak trees.   Of course the trees were leafless now but I imagined  the trail with buds in Spring, and lush green leaves in late Spring and Summer. It was a nice trail which at first took me along open farm fields on the east side of the trail.

I’d much rather hike when the woodlands were lush and green and not during the dreary days of Winter when everything is brown and gray.  But I’d much rather hike when the trees are leafless, brown and gray, and it is cold out, then sit in my house on a sofa. So I was glad i found another nice place to hike.

There were some greens along the trail, the invasive  and  edible,  Dame’s rocket,

and garlic mustard plants,  so common along the trails  in the woodlands of Northeastern Pennsylvania. They are invasive but are delicious. The  greens  can be harvested even during January in mild Winters.

There were a lot of marginal wood ferns growing along the trail. I don’t see these ferns on my hikes on the trails near my home in Luzerne County.

There were also some familiar Christmas ferns.

There wasn’t much bird activity along the trail. I only saw a small flock of white throated sparrows foraging for seeds in the shrubs along the trail.

The trail soon took me near the Swatara Creek. I walked down to the creek and saw a few hunters walking along the other side.I walked up to the trail and met a pleasant woman hunter who told me to be careful since there were a lot of hunters in the area.

I continued on the trail, coming to a fossil hill, I learned the dirt was from another area of the park and . that one could usually find some fossils there .

I approached the hill but found two hunters perched above so I didn’t disturb them, hunters, some with their vehicles parked on the trail. I spoke with a few of them and learned a lot about the park and surrounding area. One old timer told me about the bears he saw in the park and near his home. I was real starting to like Swatara State Park. I love seeing bears on my hikes.

I continued on the Bear Hole trail,

crossing a  small stream,

and coming to any area where there were many old wooden  posts along both sides of the trail. . There were a lot of black walnuts trees along the trail here,

and many black walnuts on the ground. I am guessing there must have once been farm land in this section of the park.

I hiked out about 1 1/2 mile, seeing a few more hunters along the way.  I was enjoying the trail. I think it will be a nice place to hike in the warmer months.   One of the hunters told me that you couldn’t hear the interstate traffic on the Swatara Rail Trail  across the creek. I also learned there were more trail and a lot of history in the park.  The old Union Canal that connected the Schuylkill and Susquehanna Rivers was located along the Swatara Creek in the Park.   I love the history of the rivers in my area and will have to learn more about the canal.

I  decided to end my hike and walk back to my Jeep. On the way I saw some invasive oriental bittersweet,

rose hips,  and

Japanese  barberies along the trail. I just recently learned that the bayberries are edible and can be made into jams.

I also found  native pokeweed berries growing along the trail.

And where there are berries in the winter there are usually some of our resident birds. I saw a few more white throated sparrows  and this golden crowned kinglet feeding on some rose hips along the trail. .

I also saw this Carolina wren,

 singing a cheerful song along as I walked by. 

I also heard, and then saw this hermit thrush along the trail. They are a short distance migrant and the last thrush to head south in the Winter. Some remain in Pennslvania throughout the Winter and they are the only thrush that winter in the United States.

 I love their song and it was a nice reminder of  the Spring and Summer  months when I hear them in  the  lush green woodlands on my hike.

I walked past the canoe and kayak access to the Swatara Creek,

and then back to Wagner Pond.  I walked around the pond, still covered in ice,

and found  a wetland on the other side of the pond. I again thought this would be a great place to  look for migratory birds in the  Spring.

I saw a few of our Winter resident birds here including a flock of dark eyed juncos.

and this red bellied woodpecker.  Here is a link to a gallery on my blog web site with some more photos of the birds I saw on my hike. Swatara State Park birds November 29 2025.

Although it was cold and windy I enjoyed the beauty of the ancient oaks  along the trails. I only hiked  3 of the 34 miles of trails   in  the park. I look fprward to returning in the Spring and Summer and exploring more of the park. I think I am going to like what I find. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog web site with some more photos from  my hike. Swatara State Park  November 29 2025.

“If everyone in the world took care of each other the way folks do out on the trail, and if everyone approached each day with as much hope and optimism as hikers do, the world would be a better place.” – Jon Tullis

Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee. – GENESIS 13:17