STATE & NATION TRAVEL · news
North Pocono Trail opens 3.2 miles along Roaring Brook
By Staff Writer · Published October 31, 2026
The new Lackawanna County segment starts at 134 Old State Road in Elmhurst Township and gives walkers, runners and cyclists an out-and-back route toward Dunmore.
Official announcement: Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources · October 29, 2026
Source: Pennsylvania DCNR North Pocono Trail opening release
Pennsylvania opened 3.2 miles of the North Pocono Trail on October 29, creating a new multi-use route through Elmhurst Township in Lackawanna County. The trailhead is at 134 Old State Road, where visitors can begin an out-and-back trip south toward Dunmore.
The segment is intended for walking, hiking, running and bicycling and follows the Roaring Brook corridor with views toward Moosic Mountain. The state announcement describes the opening as part of a larger trail network, not a completed through-route, so travelers should use the published map and turn around at the end of the open segment rather than assume a future connection is ready.
The project combines more than $1.5 million in Department of Conservation and Natural Resources support with a $2 million Pennsylvania Department of Transportation investment in a former Erie and Wyoming Railroad trestle. The county-owned bridge is being reused as a trail connection alongside other work near the Interstate 84 Twin Bridges corridor.
The official release does not publish operating hours, a trail fee, winter-maintenance terms or a detailed accessibility specification. It reports that people using wheelchairs and mobility devices have already used the route, but visitors who depend on a particular surface, grade or maintenance condition should verify those details before making the trip.
What Travelers Need to Know
Use 134 Old State Road, Elmhurst Township, as the trailhead named in the opening release. Plan an out-and-back route heading south toward Dunmore; do not rely on an unbuilt or unopened future connection for a one-way pickup.
Download or print the official North Pocono Trail System map before departure. The new 3.2-mile opening is part of a larger network, and map labels can help distinguish the new corridor from nearby state-forest trails.
Bring water, weather protection and a light appropriate for the planned return time. Confirm current state-forest advisories after storms or snow because the release does not establish winter maintenance or guarantee surface conditions.
Travelers with mobility needs should contact the Pinchot Forest District before visiting to confirm grade, surface, barriers and the condition of the bridge connection. The release's examples of current users are not a substitute for an accessibility specification.
About the Location
The North Pocono Trail lies in the Elmhurst Tract of Pinchot State Forest in northeastern Pennsylvania. DCNR's existing trail guide describes a broader shared-use system of about seven miles, with routes suited mainly to hiking and mountain biking around Roaring Brook, Kellum Creek, rhododendron thickets and forest habitat.
The new segment also sits within the Pocono Forests and Waters Conservation Landscape and the Lackawanna Heritage Valley. Reusing an abandoned railroad corridor and trestle adds a recreation route to a landscape shaped by both forest conservation and the region's transportation history, while leaving room for later connections that have not yet opened.