The Ultimate Poconos Sunset Hike
Dick & Nancy Eales Preserve
Catch a Picturesque Sunset
The Dick and Nancy Eales Preserve is a 2,250 acre preserve located on Moosic Mountain in Jessup, PA. This scenic preserve is a great location for hiking, birdwatching, mountain biking and photography. The preserve offers sweeping views of Northeastern Pennsylvania and is a great spot to catch a sunset over the valley below.
The preserve was named after Dick and Nancy Eales in 2009 for their continuing and generous donations and efforts to maintain the area. When accessing the preserve today, you will be greeted by low-lying shrubs, pine and oak trees, and an array of blueberries and huckleberries. The preserve is home to many forms of wildlife including deer, black bear, coyote, fox, birds, and butterflies and moths. Along with local wildlife and birds, the preserve is home to the rare Sallow Moth and Barrens Buckmoth.
How to get to the Preserve
Location: 222 In The Deed, Jessup, PA 18434
Located in Jessup, PA the Eales Preserve is easily accessible from most of Pennsylvania and surrounding areas. A short drive from Interstate 81 and connecting Route 6 make the preserve accessible from multiple locations. From I-81 you will continue to the merging of Route-6 Carbondale (Casey Highway) and exit at Jessup (exit 3). From the exit you will turn on Moosic Lake Rd and the preserve is located 1.5 miles up on the left.
Our Hike at Dick and Nancy Eales Preserve
Having moved back to NEPA we decided to take 2 hikes each week and really explore what Northeastern Pennsylvania has to offer. We chose the preserve after researching great hikes in the area. Our hike for the day was the Moosic Mountain Loop.
The loop is a 4.7 mile loop with an elevation gain of 383ft. Starting right pat the parking area, the loop continues around the preserve and offers amazing views of NEPA. The hike is relatively level and moderate for all types of hikers. Rocky areas comprise of a large portion of the hike along with dense brush, and tight trails passing through fern fields and berry fields. We did this hike in mid July and were about 2 weeks away rom prime blueberry picking season. As we got about halfway through the loop, we were greeted by berry fields, white tailed deer, and field full of moth cocoons which was really cool to see.
Our hike took us about 1.5 hours to complete and we chose to hike near sunset to catch some views of the area. As we neared the end of our hike we were greeted with a cotton candy sky with a great sunset to end our trek. It was definitely a great choice for that time of the day in the area and we highly recommend the trail.
Try Another Hike at Dick and Nancy Eales Preserve
The Dick and Nancy Eales Preserve features over 15 miles of trails that all intersect and intertwine. Below are the trails located within the preserve and many of the trails continue along each other.
Nature Preserve and Blueberry Loop:
The Nature Preserve and Blueberry Loop is a 3.4 mile loop through the preserve and classified as easy. The trail is rocky and does not offer much shade so be prepared when picking this trail.
Bruised Ego, Stone Henge, Waterfall and Blueberry Trail Loop:
This loop is a 6.1 mile loop and features and elevation gain of 511 feet. The loop is classified as moderate and takes about 2-3 hours to complete depending your hiking ability. The loop offers great views of the valley and is a great trail especially for sunset.
Dick and Nancy Eales Preserve Loop:
The Dick and Nancy Eales Preserve Loop is a moderate 10.8 mil loop that spans the outside of the preserve and is a great day hike for the hiking lover. The trail features an elevation gain of 1,079 feet and I one the better hikes in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Gene’s, After Five, Stone Henge, Conglomerate, and Nature Preserve Trail Loop:
This 3.8 mile loop is a great hike for beginner hikers and is a great to bring along your dog. The trail is rated as moderate with a 396 foot elevation gain.
Nature Preserve, Power Line, and Waterfall Trail Loop:
This loop is one of the more challenging hikes that preserve has to offer. Spanning 5.1 miles with an elevation gain of 564 feet, the loop is a great hike especially for berry picking and bird watching.
Other Activities at the Preserve
Along with hiking, the Dick and Nancy Eales Preserve is a great location for mountain biking, snow shoeing and bird watching. The preserve features shared paths for mountain bikers and the rocky terrain and tight turns make this a great location for biking.
Be sure to check out our other NEPA posts and guides here:
