Story submitted by Rick Hiduk
Wyoming County in Pennsylvania’s Endless Mountains is blessed with abundant public green spaces and waterways. In 2018, The Wyoming County Cultural Center at the Dietrich Theater secured funding to assess and catalog the county’s natural resources for the purpose of giving residents and visitors alike a handy guide to lead them on new outdoor adventures. The endeavor led to the first Explore Wyoming County’s Parks & Trails brochure that was well-received by the public and proved to be a catalyst for enhancements of many of the sites therein.
As the supplies of the original brochure, containing detailed maps of recreational destinations within the county, began to run low, there were also many changes on the landscape that motivated the Cultural Center to apply for additional grants to fund an overhaul of the first effort. Many of the same people who worked on the original brochure were invited back to the table to collaborate on the update. In the years since the first brochure, the state of Pennsylvania gave Wyoming County two gifts that couldn’t have been imagined a few years earlier. The Howland Preserve became Vosburg Neck State Park – the county’s first – and Miller Mountain became the ninth tract in the Commonwealth’s Pinchot State Forest.
“With changes of this magnitude, it was apparent that our brochure needed to be redone,” said Erica Rogler, director of the Dietrich Theater. “Also, our funders made some suggestions that have been implemented including icons throughout the brochure that help people see, at a glance, what amenities are available at each site.” Icons on the maps also show sites that are popular with anglers, bird watchers, and those looking for spectacular views. GPS coordinates were recalculated to direct recreationists to park entrances and parking lots.
Another big addition was Endless Gravel, a network of cycling routes along quiet, unpaved roads in Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna, and Wyoming counties. Routes range from day rides to the 430-mile Endless Mountains Gravel Backpacking Loop (EMGBL), which was developed over time by the Endless Mountains Heritage Region. It is one of several trails depicted on the maps, including the Seneca Trail, the Iroquois Trail, and numerous trails on the Keystone College Campus and throughout State Game Lands 57.
The longest trail through the county is actually the North Branch Water Trail: the section of the Susquehanna River that meanders from Laceyville in the northwest corner to Exeter Township at its southeast end. Public boat launches and other access points to the river, local lakes and creeks are also illustrated in the new brochure, along with icons that depict which points require PA Fish & Boat Commission launch permits.
The parks and other green spaces range from the aforementioned, multi-acre state sites to small municipal parks with playgrounds, picnic pavilions, and trails. “We made the decision while developing the first brochure that every one of these little parks was indeed a public green space and therefore eligible for inclusion in the brochure,” said project lead Rick Hiduk, who worked closely with Diane Turrell of DDH Design on both projects. “Even if it’s just a place where grandparents can take their grandkids to play on a nice day. It’s all about getting outdoors.”
The new brochure is now available at the Dietrich Theater and the Endless Mountains Visitors Bureau. It will also be available at numerous other locations in the coming weeks. To request a free copy, visit the Endless Mountains Visitors Bureau website or call 570-836-5431.
Financial support for the project came from the Endless Mountains Heritage Region with funding from PA DCNR and the Community Conservation Partnerships Program, The Wyoming County Room Tax Fund and the Endless Mountains Visitors Bureau, and the Wyoming County Commissioners.