Blakeslee: Nature, Waterfalls and Hiking Trails

Explore Blakeslee through its natural landmarks, trails and individual remnants of its local history. The Austin T. Blakeslee Natural Area encompasses about 130 acres of protected land and is home to Tobyhanna Falls, a tiered waterfall. The Thomas Darling Preserve has a different focus: it protects a glacial wetland complex and features a loop trail and a boardwalk network. If you’re looking for a hotel in Blakeslee, these local highlights can help you decide which activities you’d like to shape your stay.

Waterfalls and wetlands

The Thomas Darling Preserve protects a glacial wetland complex with black spruce and tamarack forests, sphagnum bogs, fens and open wet meadows. The landscape thus includes wooded, boggy and open wetland areas. Two-Mile Run, a spring-fed stream, is also part of the preserve. This focus differs from Tobyhanna Falls in the Austin T. Blakeslee Natural Area: there, a tiered waterfall is the clearly identified natural feature, while here the landscape combines different types of wetlands and forests.

Compare trails by length

The Thomas Darling Preserve features a two-mile loop trail and a boardwalk network. The Austin T. Blakeslee Natural Area has 2.59 miles of hiking trails. Its Creek Trail runs for 1.14 miles along Tobyhanna Creek. These figures describe different trail options: a loop in the preserve, the hiking trails in the natural area, and a specifically named route along the creek. The Creek Trail is shorter than the two-mile loop; both trail length and the surrounding landscape may influence your choice of area.

Hiking, observing and photographing

Activities at the Thomas Darling Preserve include hiking, birdwatching, wildlife watching and photography. The options range from walking the trails to observing and capturing nature. If you’d like to plan your stay around these activities, the preserve offers a different focus from the waterfall landscape or the historic remains in the Austin T. Blakeslee Natural Area.

Traces of Harrison Park

The Austin T. Blakeslee Natural Area contains remnants of Harrison Park. These include a stone foundation of the building that housed a roller-skating rink and an artesian well. These details draw attention to the area’s former use and add local history to its natural features. The preserved elements can be identified specifically: the foundation of a building with a roller-skating rink and the well. This adds another point of interest for trip planning alongside the waterfall, wetlands and trails.

More things to explore in the surrounding region

In the wider region around Blakeslee, the Pocono Bike and Hike Trail System includes more than 28 miles of hiking and biking trails and connects ecotourism with cultural tourism. Visitors can also experience live NASCAR races at Pocono Raceway in the surrounding area. Race dates and event offerings vary by season; check the specific race dates in advance if you’d like to include a race in your trip plans. In Tobyhanna Township, covered bridges are also among the visitor attractions. Along with Blakeslee’s natural areas, trails and historic traces, this regional overview adds to the range of topics you can consider when planning your stay.

Discover more destinations: Delaware Water Gap, Albrightsville, Cresco, East Stroudsburg, Pocono Summit, Saylorsburg, Mountainhome, Stroudsburg.

For the broader travel overview: Monroe.