The Rhododendron Flowers Are Putting On A Spectacular Display In State Game Lands 141 Carbon County

I love our beautiful State flower, the mountain laurel, but in my opinion the native rhododendron, ( rhododendron maximum) is even prettier. The rhododendron is larger and blooms a few weeks later than its cousin the mountain laurel. The white to pink flowers start to bloom in late June or early July here in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

The rhododendron, like the mountain laurel are members of the heath family which includes blueberries, cranberries, huckleberries and wintergreen. It can grew up to 25 feet tall . I have crawled through many dense thickets of rhododendron in the swamps and hemlock forests in mountains of Pennsylvania.

On Saturday morning I saw a spectacular display on a hike to the Tank Hollow overlook in State Game Lands 141 In Carbon County. It was a sunny and cool morning when I arrived at the parking lot to the trail on Behrens Road in Penn Forest Township.

There were no rhododendron flowers blooming on the mile part of my 5 mile hike. The recently controlled burning area done by the forestry department had many mountain laurel flowers in bloom under the scattered tall oak and pine trees but no rhododendrons grew here. The mountain laurel blooms had already faded.

The gate was closed so I had to hike into the game lands. During hunting season the gate is open and you can drive to the Tank Hollow overlook trail. There were a lot of lush green ferns growing in the controlled burning area areas along the road., mostly hay- scented

and interrupted ferns.

Some early Summer wildflowers also bloomed along the access road, including invasive hawkweed ,

oxeye daisies, and, 

 native yarrow

prairie daisy fleabane and

milkweed flowers.

The milkweed flowers attracted some butterflies including this  Aphrodite fritillary butterfly , and ,

my first sighting of a monarch butterfly, my first of the season. Sadly , I would see hundreds of this beautiful butterflies fluttering around milkweed flowers a few years ago. Load of habitat has greatly reduced there numbers and they are becoming endangered.

It was early Summer and the grasses are now also going to seed along the trail including invasive timothy grass,

and  native broom  sedge.

On my  previous hikes  on this trail  in the Spring I had seen a lot of bird activity and a lot of species of birds, many just migrating through pur area. On this hike I didn’t see as many, in fact I only heard, then saw a few  eastern towhees ,

a prairie warbler and

this  mourning dove perched high on a treetop. 

I also saw a pair of common ravens. One was perched in this tree but I couldn’t get a photo through the leaves and branches. I listened to its cawing and calls for 15 minutes hoping to get a photo when it flew off, but it took off behind the tree so no photo to share. here.

I walked to the second gate and parking lot,

where the trail proceeded steeply down a ridge and  into a more mature oak, hemlock and pine woodland.

Here in the  more dense woods I saw and heard manured eyed vireos,  and  ovenbirds,  I was able to get a few photos of the ovenbirds,

and this tufted titmouse.

I came to the trail that led to the Tank Hollow overlook. 

This trail was narrow and lined with many ostrich ferns.

It became rocky as it proceeded through the thickets of mountain laurel that were in full bloom a few weeks ago. It was a spectacular bloom this year.

As the trail approached the rocky ridge of the overlook the mountain laurel were replaced by lush thickets of lush green rhododendrons, covered with flowers and flowers buds.

It was another fantastic display of a native flower.  The white to pink flowers were in various stages of bloom.

While walking through the rhododendrons I heard and saw some warblers that live in the deeper woodlands including this elusive Blackburnian warbler,

a few black throated blue warblers,

 and this black throated gren warblers, who sang the loudest of the three warblers .

I walked to the rocky overlook above the Lehigh River and enjoyed the view and the sound of the river rushing below.

Rhododendron flowers  bloomed just above the rocks on the overlook.

I found this snake skin on the rocks. I am not sure but I think a rattlesnake shed it.

I was enjoying the view when I was joined by a group of charming young ladies, Some were  visiting from the Philadelphia area and two were from Ireland. We had a nice conversation on  this  isolated overlook.

I left the overlook and hiked back to the main trail. 

Which I followed  for about another 3/4 mile.

It ended at another parking lot and  gate on the road. You can drive to this gate during hunting season.   I  was out about 3 miles  and I had a  picnic to attend that evening so I decided to hike back.

On the  way I saw a few more birds, this female common yellowthroat,

and a wood thrush that was singing it’s haunting melodic song. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog web page with some more photos of the birds I saw on my 5 mile hike. Tank Hollow State Game Lands. 141 birds July 5 2025.

I also saw this eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly.

It was now past noon. I walked under the shade of the mature tree until I got to the  ridge. After trudging up the ridge there was no shade and the  strong July sun raised the temperature into the low 80’s. It was a long and  tiring hike back.   I finished my five mile hike in the games lands ( I hike3 miles near my home earlier).  Once again I wasn’t able to see snakes, bears or other exotic wildlife but I enjoyed the peace and quiet of the trail, and the beauty of another one of our native flowers, the rhododendron. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog web page with some more photos from  my 5 mile hike. Tank Hollow State Game Lands. 141  July 5 2025.

 

“A rhododendron bud lavender-tipped. Soon a glory of blooms to clash with the cardinals and gladden the hummingbirds!”— Dave Beard