Nescopeck State Park

Bordered on the south by steep Mount Yeager and on the north by Nescopeck Mountain, the 3,550-acre Nescopeck State Park encompasses wetlands, rich forests, and many diverse habitats.

Nescopeck Creek, a favorite of anglers, meanders through the park. Hiking trails follow the creek, pass through quiet forests, and skirt wetlands.

An environmental education center provides year-round educational programs on the park’s diverse resources.

Interpretive exhibits highlighting the park’s natural history can be seen inside the environmental education center.

Seasons and Hours

The park is open every day of the year, sunrise to sunset. Day use areas close at dusk.

The park office is open specific hours. Contact the park office for facility seasons and hours.

Directions

Traveling east on I-80:

• Take Exit 262 (Hazleton, Mountain Top - PA 309).
• Follow PA 309 south about 0.75 mile.
• Turn left onto Honey Hole Road. The park begins along Honey Hole Road a short distance east of the I-80 underpass.
• Travel an additional 3.5 miles along Honey Hole Road to enter the Lake Frances Day Use Area. It is on the right just opposite the gated Lake Frances Road.

Traveling West on I-80:

• Take Exit 273 (White Haven, Freeland.)
• Turn right onto PA 940.
• At the stop sign, go straight onto PA 437 for about 4.5 miles.
• Directly after the power lines, turn left onto Honey Hole Road.
• Travel 2.5 miles to enter the Lake Frances Day Use Area. It is on the left opposite the gated Lake Frances Road.

From Wilkes-Barre:

• Take PA 309 south.
• After passing under I-80, travel about 0.75 mile and turn left onto Honey Hole Road. The park begins along Honey Hole Road a short distance east of the I-80 underpass.
• Travel an additional 3.5 miles along Honey Hole Road to enter the Lake Frances Day Use Area. It is on the right just opposite the gated Lake Frances Road.

GPS Decimal Degrees: Lat. 41.09074 Long. -75.88055

Visitor Center

Opened in May of 2004, the Raphael J. Musto Visitors and Environmental Education Center and Park Office serves as a point of contact for visitors and offers a lobby with natural history exhibits, restrooms, and a classroom.

Green Building

The facility was designed as a green building using many sustainable strategies and techniques that focus on energy efficiency, resource conservation, and indoor environmental quality. Some of these features include:

Building Construction Materials

• Biodegradable or recycled content materials such as ceramic floor tiles, carpeting, insulation
• Less lumber due to glue laminated beams and columns and engineered wood joist floor framing
• Long-lasting fiber cement siding and aluminum roof
• Low volatile organic compounds paints
• Natural materials such as brick, slate, and concrete

Conservation and Energy Saving Amenities

• Low-flow toilets and automatic shut-off faucets
• Automatic hand dryers reduce paper towel waste
• Geothermal heating and cooling system
• Large operable windows and skylights maximize use of natural daylight and ventilation

Outdoors

• Stabilized turf in parking lots reduces runoff
• Rain barrel collection from roof runoff used to water landscaping and butterfly garden
• Native plantings in landscaping and butterfly garden

Learn, Experience, Connect

Year-round staff provides environmental education programming for local schools and recreational programs for park visitors.

The park’s education program strives to teach about the natural world and critical environmental issues facing society.

Special emphasis is placed on the education of Nescopeck’s unique, natural biodiversity.

School students engage in hands-on activities, exploring, and learning about ecosystems within the park to further their awareness, appreciation, and knowledge of the natural environment.

Educators offer DCNR’s Watershed Education program to area:

• High schools
• Teachers
• Other groups interested in learning about complex issues within their watersheds

Teacher workshops based on state and national environmental education curricula, as they relate to Department of Education academic standards, are also offered.

A variety of interpretive and recreational programs are available for park visitors. These programs focus on the natural, historical, and cultural features of the park and region.

In addition to offering quality educational programs, the park is an outdoor natural laboratory for visiting biologists, college interns, and resource professionals involved in an array of research projects.

Nature Discovery Area

Visit the Nature Discovery Area located by the butterfly garden near the park office. This area has been designed to nurture children’s sense of wonder by encouraging nature play.

The Nature Discovery Area Brochure (PDF) has more information.

Access for People with Disabilities

This activity or structure is ADA accessible. If you need an accommodation to participate in park activities due to a disability, please contact the park you plan to visit.

In an Emergency

Call 911 and contact a park employee.

Directions to the nearest hospital are posted on bulletin boards and at the park office.

Nearest Hospital

Lehigh Valley Hospital-Hazleton
700 East Broad Street
Hazleton, PA 18201
570-501-4000