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The Shapiro Administration recently marked the opening of the North Pocono Trail, highlighting a combined $3.5 million investment in expanding outdoor recreation and improving transportation infrastructure in Lackawanna County.
The event marks the official opening of 3.2 miles of new multi-use trail through the North Pocono area, made possible in part by more than $1.5 million in grant funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, along with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's $2 million investment to rehabilitate the abandoned Erie and Wyoming Railroad bridge.
The project connects the new trail with the rehabilitation of the county-owned railroad trestle and PennDOT's reconstruction of the Twin Bridges along the Interstate 84 corridor, expanding recreational opportunities while showcasing the impact of state investment in the region.
The project was made possible through coordination between Lackawanna County, DCNR, and PennDOT. DCNR provided grant funding for the design and development of the North Pocono Trail, including $61,211 in Land and Water Conservation Fund support awarded in 1981 for acquisition of the property.
More recently, Lackawanna County received two Community Conservation Partnership Program Keystone grants: $141,000 in 2017 for Phase 1 trail design and $1.38 million in 2020 for Phase 1 trail development.
PennDOT contributed $2 million through its investment in the rehabilitation of the former railroad trestle, which is owned by Lackawanna County and will become an integral part of the trail system.
The trail provides opportunities for walking, hiking, running and bicycling while opening public access to the natural landscape of the Roaring Brook corridor. The trailhead is located at 134 Old State Road in Elmhurst Township, where users can begin an out‑and‑back route traveling south toward Dunmore.
Somerset County
The Shapiro Administration is also investing nearly $1 million in improvements at Mount Davis, Pennsylvania's highest natural point, to enhance visitor access, improve safety, and upgrade amenities at this popular destination in Somerset County's Forbes State Forest -- one of the Commonwealth's most unique natural and historical landmarks.
DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn visited Mount Davis recently to highlight the $986,000 infrastructure investments, which includes a refurbished observation tower, new interpretive displays and signage, and improvements to the entrance road and parking area.
"Mount Davis is one of the most distinctive places in Pennsylvania's state forests," she said. "Visitors come from across the country and around the world to experience this site, which is why continued investment in access and safety matters so much."