Wildlife Watching at Gouldsboro State Park
Gouldsboro State Park is in the Pocono Plateau, a rugged highland with:
About 20,000 years ago, a giant sheet of ice at least one mile thick covered the area. Evidence of the glacier is the very rocky soil that is called glacial till and the abundance of bogs.
Much of the park is characterized by sphagnum moss bogs, evergreen trees, and thin, moist, rocky soil. Common to this habitat are:
Blackburnian warbler
Red-breasted nuthatch
Northern waterthrush
During the spring, spotted and Jefferson salamanders and wood frogs flock to the bogs to breed.
Interesting plants like the carnivorous pitcher plant, cotton grass, and many sedges inhabit the bogs. The carnivorous plant yellow bladderwort lives in some of the bogs and in Tobyhanna Lake. In the underwater portion of the plant, small sacks trap tiny aquatic animals.
Due to the logging of the forests, large portions have regrown with a mix of deciduous trees like American beech, many species of oak, and red maple trees. Common birds in this forest are:
American redstart
Red-eyed vireo
Louisiana waterthrush
During early May, before any trees have leaves, serviceberry trees flower.
During mid-June, the plentiful mountain laurel blooms, followed in late-June to early-July by rhododendron.
During mid-July, highbush blueberries bear fruit, providing a feast for bears and birds.
Black Bear Safety
Black bear are common in the park. This omnivore eats plants, grasses, berries, and occasionally meat. Unfortunately, bear find human food to be nearly irresistible. Please observe wildlife from a safe distance and do not feed wildlife.
Keep your food in the trunk of a car.
Black bear normally avoid people, but bear dependent on eating human food can become aggressive when people get between them and food. If this situation occurs, make loud noises like:
Yelling
Honking a car horn
Banging a pot
Notify a park employee if you have difficulties with a bear. Never approach a bear and be especially wary of mother bears and cubs.
Do Not Feed Wildlife
Feeding wildlife is prohibited. Feeding raccoons, squirrels, or chipmunks may expose you to the threat of rabies. Feeding Canada geese at the swimming areas results in large quantities of fecal droppings, which is offensive to park visitors.