Take to the trails

Sandy Long
Posted 11/3/16

While talking with an acquaintance at a recent gathering, the topic of trails came up. George lives in a 500-acre community where a series of trails weave through a large forested area protected from …

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Take to the trails

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While talking with an acquaintance at a recent gathering, the topic of trails came up. George lives in a 500-acre community where a series of trails weave through a large forested area protected from development. Our enthusiasm about trails throughout the Upper Delaware River region quickly launched a lively conversation about our favorite places to hike or walk. We traded tips about trails on both sides of the river for quite some time, waxing eloquent on the endless enchantments and bountiful benefits of a walk in the woods.

As luck would have it, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) would like to hear about your favorite trail in order to identify the 2017 Trail of the Year. DCNR’s Pennsylvania Trails Advisory Committee works to implement the recommendations of the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan to develop a land and water trail network to facilitate recreation, transportation and healthy lifestyles. The committee also advises the Commonwealth on the use of state and federal trail funding and will create a commemorative poster of the winning trail for statewide distribution.

To nominate your favorite trail for consideration, visit www.dcnr.state.pa.us/brc/recreation/trails/patrailsadvisory and click the link under Trail of the Year. Nominations must be submitted by November 11.

Following are a few more resources to launch or expand your experiences on the excellent trails in our region:

• Check out 12 miles of hiking trails at the Pocono Environmental Education Center (PEEC), located within the 77,000-acre Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in Dingmans Ferry, PA. (www.peec.org/about/hiking-trails) .

• Learn more about Lacawac Sanctuary in Lake Ariel, PA—an ecological research station and public environmental education facility—by hiking public trails on its 510-acres. Explore its 52-acre pristine glacial lake listed as a National Natural Landmark, two ponds, several wetlands and a suite of buildings, some of which are listed on the National Register of Historical Places. (www.lacawac.org/hiking-trails.html) .

Trail lovers might also enjoy the recently published nonfiction title, “On Trails: An Exploration,” described as “a groundbreaking exploration of how trails help us understand the world—from tiny ant trails to hiking paths that span continents, from interstate highways to the Internet.” The book’s author, Robert Moor, discussed his compelling work during the Milford Readers and Writers Festival a few weeks ago.

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