By Bill Deaton
The recent weather has been generous to those that love winter recreation. The persistent snowfall that seemingly started in February and lasted all month has made for outstanding conditions for snowmobile enthusiasts. Locally, the trailheads have been packed with folks and their sleds and may be that way for some time to come.
The Delaware State Forest is home to nearly 115 miles of public snowmobiling trails. These paths, however, are not connected but exist in several loops and spurs due to the non-contiguous nature of the state lands.
- In Pike County, close to 70 miles of these routes that are accessible near and through Promised Land State park, as well as those reached from trailheads off or close to PA Route 402 near Peck’s Pond are groomed when conditions warrant.
- The Monroe County trails in the Snow Hill vicinity and at the Dixon Miller Recreation Area are left to Mother Nature and are not groomed.
- The trails near Promised Land State Park largely lie to the west of PA-390, with the exception of some that circle and are adjacent to Promised Land Lake. The upper loop can be reached from the Kleinhans parking area on PA-390 while the lower loop is accessible from the lot on Sawmill Rd, south of the park. Both sections are connected via link trails in the park.
- Riders may park at the Maple Run trailhead on the east side of PA-402, utilize the loops in that tract, then hop the highway to the Highline Rd, which will allow them to connect up with more trails that originate out of the Burnt Mills lot on the corner of PA-402 and Bushkill Rd. From there trails meander through the forest to places such as Little Mud Pond, Lake Minisink, and the Sawkill Creek.
- Snowmobilers using state trails must wear helmets and machines must be registered and covered by liability insurance.