BUSHKILL TWP., Pa. — When it comes to capacity issues at Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center, it’s often because visitors don’t know there are other parts of the park to explore, Rob Neitz said.
“The Henry's Woods Trail, our main parking lot and the visitor center parking lot on a nice spring day, nice summer day, get slammed and people wind up parking on the grass and things like that,” Neitz, Jacobsburg’s manager, said.
“But there are other parts of the park with other parking lots that have space available.
“We try to encourage people to go outside of their comfort limit and learn a new section of the park. We know that this section is your favorite, but try something else.
"You might find some other place in the park that you really like.”
State park officials across the commonwealth are gearing up for what could be a very busy summer season as some federal campgrounds shutter due to staffing shortages.
In response, the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in March launched a “Still Open. Still Awesome.” campaign.
“These lands provide citizens access to the natural wonders of Pennsylvania and abundant outdoor recreation opportunities that bring $19 billion annually to the state’s economy.”Tom Gilbert, President of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council
“People all over the commonwealth, and leaders from both parties, appreciate our public lands and recognize the importance of investing in them,” Tom Gilbert, president of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council said in a news release.
“With staffing shortages affecting popular destinations that depend on federal funding, it is reassuring to know that Pennsylvania’s incredible state parks, forests, game lands and trails will remain open thanks to the commitment of Gov. [Josh] Shapiro and DCNR’s stewardship.
“These lands provide citizens access to the natural wonders of Pennsylvania and abundant outdoor recreation opportunities that bring $19 billion annually to the state’s economy.”
‘Increased demand for camping’
State parks across the commonwealth and the United States saw sharp increases in attendance during the COVID-19 pandemic, as residents sought outdoor spaces to recreate.
While attendance spiked in 2020, attendance trends dipped as restrictions began to fall away. However, officials and outdoor enthusiasts have said it’s clear some residents have picked up a new appreciation for these spaces because of the pandemic, and continue to use them.
Near the Lehigh Valley, there are at least three popular state parks: Jacobsburg, Hickory Run and Beltzville.
While peak season remains Memorial Day to Labor Day, shifting weather patterns because of climate change have, in recent years, extended the overall season.
“As the climate is warming, we're getting longer shoulder seasons,” Neitz said. “Spring’s coming maybe a little bit earlier; we're having some nicer days in the wintertime.
"And then fall seems to be extending well into November, December, meaning you can have some 70-degree days all the way through to December.
“We're definitely seeing an increased visitation on the shoulder seasons, so our overall season seems to be longer in general, but you definitely see the population spike in those three months.”
As of the beginning of April, the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources reported a nearly 30% increase in campsite reservations across state parks for peak season compared with last year.
“With increased demand for camping, we encourage everyone to plan ahead and take advantage of the many beautiful sites still available.”DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn
“Pennsylvanians and visitors alike are embracing the outdoors like never before,” DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said in a news release.
“With increased demand for camping, we encourage everyone to plan ahead and take advantage of the many beautiful sites still available.”
‘They've been itching’
At Jacobsburg, visitor numbers already have started to trend up thanks to unseasonably warm days.
“As soon as there's a nice day — even mid-February, if there is a beautiful day — people are coming to the park,” Neitz said. “For sure we are seeing numbers start to increase.”
A Bushkill Creek restoration project over the winter caused some center facilities and part of the Henry’s Woods Trail to close. With the trail now open, visitors have been quick to take advantage.
“People were just itching to gain access back to that portion of the trail that we had closed off for construction reasons,” Neitz said. “And so, they've been itching, and the fishermen are all excited about getting back and getting into the stream and having access.
“There's been a lot of excitement around that. Now that the trail’s open, we've been seeing people pouring back in to use their favorite part of the park.”
While there isn’t overnight camping, Jacobsburg boasts 1,168 acres of forests, fields and creeks for hiking and fishing. There’s also a multi-use trail, open to pedestrians, bicyclists and horseback riders.
As all three could be on the trail at once, Netz explained the “trail etiquette triangle.”
“Basically, it says that whether you're on a horse or whether you're on a bike or whether you're a pedestrian, you give way to the horse,” Neitz said.
“You give them the right of way, because for your safety, for the safety of the horseback rider, for the safety of the animal, we try to give the horse their right of way.
“And then bikes give way to pedestrians as well. What we're hoping to achieve is just some basic, common decency towards your other visitors.”
Prep for the summer season includes the expected — clearing trails, mowing and making sure facilities are ready to handle crowds.
“My staff does a great job of keeping the park up and running,” Neitz said. “It's always a struggle with the storms that we've been having and the high winds — the ash trees, they continue to fall and cross our trails.
“We're kind of constantly on tree monitoring, trying to keep the trails open. But other than that, things generally are pretty routine here.”
‘Eager and excited’
Similarly, officials at Beltzville State Park, near Lehighton, Carbon County, are preparing their grounds, including the 949-acre Beltzville Lake.
“We got the buoys out on our lake,” Park Manager Cody Miller said. “We're getting the beach ready, getting the concession stands ready.
"We have a food concession and a boat rental concession, and we just turned the water back onto those buildings, and the concessionaires are in, getting their boats ready, getting their food stuff ready and getting prepared for the season.
“They're eager and excited.”
Miller, who was appointed manager about a month ago, said generally, the park is busiest from May to September, with beaches open Memorial Day through Labor Day.
“Outside of that, this past April, I think our visitation was 37,000 — so we're still very busy, but we're not anywhere near as busy as we get in July,” Miller said. “Our July visitation last year was 122,000, so three times what we get this time of year.”
In addition to the beach, there are just more than 16 miles of trails. However, Miller said “social trails” have started cropping up, and warned visitors to stay on the marked route.
“It's something that we'll look at addressing and changing the course of the trail,” he said. “But, for the time being, just follow what is blazed.
“We don't want people going out and hiking Cove Ridge Trail and then hiking down the side of the ridge, because that's not safe, and it would be a very hard rescue for us or a fire department to go out there and get somebody.”
‘Feeling the energy of people coming back’
DCNR officials in mid-April appointed Stacie Hall as park operations manager at Hickory Run State Park in White Haven, Carbon County.
“It's exciting, feeling the energy of people coming back,” Hall said. “And we're starting to see a pickup of phone calls asking questions about the park and what's available for the season and campsites.”
Hickory Run is one of the closest state parks to the Valley to offer overnight camping, with just shy of 375 sites.
“As far as state park campgrounds go, it is definitely a lot,” Hall said. “We only have 15 full hookup sites and 119 electric sites — the rest are all non-electric.
"And we know, from experience watching reservations, that the full hookups are usually the first to get reserved, and then we have five camping cottages as well in the campground.”
With campsites available to book 11 months in advance, regulars often grab their spots as soon as possible, she said. This year, there was about a 60% higher rate of booking in March than last March.
“If people know that they're going to be returning year to year, they mark that date on the calendar, and they're jumping on at 7 a.m. and making those reservations,” Hall said.
“So, if you are looking to book for the summer, the more popular sites are pretty much booked up on weekends and holidays, but we still certainly have availability.”
Last year, the park saw visitors from 46 states, Washington D.C., six Canadian Provinces, and Germany, she said. Of the reservations, 66% were from Pennsylvania, 12% New Jersey and 7% New York.
In addition to the park, the Hickory Run complex includes Lehigh Gorge and the Nescopeck Environmental Education Center.
“We have a single management team,” Hall said. “We have a single environmental education staff. We have a single maintenance staff, a single ranger staff that will work in all three parks.
“We manage the budget, we manage all of the projects, all the maintenance out of the Hickory Run office.”
Hall encouraged visitors to explore the park, noting learning rules and regulations should be a priority before arriving.
“We want them to come and enjoy the parks and continue to love the park,” Hall said. “But, taking the time, learning the rules and rugs, knowing what's allowed, what's not allowed, doing your research, knowing what is involved in certain trails — if they're easier, or if you have to have higher skill levels to do them — knowing distances.
“Not getting yourself in trouble is a huge help to our staff, so that we're able to dedicate our staff time where we need it.”
To find out more information, or to make a reservation at Hickory Run, go to the park’s website.
