A green snake slithers across fingers. — Green Snake Green Snake at Long Pond Preserve in Pennsylvania © The Nature Conservancy/George C. Gress

Long Pond Preserve and Hauser Nature Center

Pennsylvania

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Long Pond Preserve harbors species tolerant of cooler temperatures reminiscent of the region’s glacial past.

Overview
Visit

In contrast to typical barrens usually associated with dry, shallow, nutrient-poor sandy soils, the mesic till barrens found at the Long Pond Preserve thrive in rich loam full of moisture and capable of supporting a unique type of woodland landscape more characteristic of Canada’s northern climate.. That is because, historically, regular and somewhat frequent wildfires sustained this unique habitat and prevented it from succeeding to mature forest.

However, for more than a half-century, suppression of wildfires in this rapidly developing landscape has jeopardized the health of Long Pond’s mesic till barrens. Without this natural disturbance, more than 70 percent of the original habitat has transformed into fire-intolerant forest that does not support the rare species known to reside here.

In response, The Nature Conservancy, together with partners, has employed cutting edge science to assemble a detailed inventory, maps of plant and animal communities, and spatial and demographic data for the area encompassing the Long Pond Preserve. This data is crucial to effectively managing these unique barrens today and in the future.

Threats

Development and Fire Suppression

Milestones

Over the years, TNC has worked with partners to acquire property, complete an ecological management plan and establish a prescribed fire program for this unique landscape. This has led to cutting-edge conservation strategies that included the enrollment of 8,588 acres by Bethlehem Water Authority into the Working Woodlands Program, which provides forest landowners with a rigorous analysis of their property and access to forest certification and carbon markets, in exchange for a commitment to practice sustainable forestry.

TNC also entered into an agreement with the Pennsylvania Game Commission to employ prescribed burning to restore more than 2,000 acres in the barrens over the past decade. Today, TNC continues to work with local government and other partners to acquire and manage additional lands, and provide public access to quality outdoor recreation.

LIMITED ACCESS

Limited Access

LOCATION

Long Pond, PA

Explore Our Work in this Region

EXPLORE

Take a guided walk along Cathy's Trail. Seasonal hunting is allowed in accordance with the PA Game Commission.

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HOURS

On weekdays, visitors are encouraged to stop by the Hauser Nature Center. Learn about additional public access areas on the Bethelhem Authority website.

HIGHLIGHTS

Swamp, bog, and marsh habitats, birdwatching, rare butterflies and moths

Size

Long Pond is a complex comprised of an estimated 12,000 acres owned by entities that include Tunkhannock Township, Monroe County, Pennsylvania Game Commission, Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry, Pennsylvania State Parks, Wildlands Conservancy and TNC.

FROM THE SOUTH (PHILADELPHIA AREA) Take Northeast Extension of the PA Turnpike (I-476) north to Exit 95 (old exit 35). Take I-80 East to Exit 284 (old exit 43) – PA 115 Blakeslee. Turn right onto PA 115 South. Continue for 3.1 miles. Turn left onto Long Pond Rd at the Pocono Raceway sign. Continue for 2.7 miles; on your left will be the Tunkhannock Township firehouse and the Long Pond post office; go past these buildings and you will see on your LEFT a gravel driveway with a large, green and gold “Nature Conservancy” sign facing the road.

FROM THE WEST (HARRISBURG AREA) Take I-81 North to junction I-80. Take I-80 East to Exit 284 (old exit 43) – Blakeslee. Turn right onto PA 115 South. Continue for 3.1 miles. Turn left onto Long Pond Rd. at the Pocono Raceway sign. Continue for 2.7 miles; on your left will be the Tunkhannock Township firehouse and the Long Pond post office; go past these buildings and you will see on your LEFT a gravel driveway with a large, green and gold “Nature Conservancy” sign facing the road.

FROM THE EAST (NEW JERSEY/NEW YORK AREA) Take I-80 to exit 293 (I-380). Take I-380 north to exit 3 (it is the first exit—Pocono-PA-940) Turn left at top of ramp onto PA-940 West. At first traffic light (immediately after crossing I-380) turn left onto Long Pond Road. Stay on Long Pond Road as it twists and turns for about 5.6 miles. At that first stop sign which says “Stop except for right turn,” turn right. You are still on Long Pond Road—go 1.3 miles, and look on the RIGHT for a gravel driveway with a large green and gold “Nature Conservancy” sign facing the road. If you reach the Tunkhannock Township fire house and the Long Pond post office (both on right), you’ve passed The Nature Conservancy office. Turn around in the large parking lot.

FROM THE NORTH Take I-81 to Exit 170. Travel south on PA 115 for 23 miles. Turn left onto Long Pond Rd. at the Pocono Raceway sign. Continue for 2.7 miles; on your left will be the Tunkhannock Township firehouse and the Long Pond post office; go past these buildings and you will see on your LEFT a gravel driveway with a large, green and gold “Nature Conservancy” sign facing the road.

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Take I-476 (PA Turnpike NE Extension) to Bear Creek Interchange, exit right. Travel on to PA 115 South for 18 ½ miles. Turn left onto Long Pond Rd. at the Pocono Raceway sign. Continue for 2.7 miles; on your left will be the Tunkhannock Township firehouse and the Long Pond post office; go past these buildings and you will see on your LEFT a gravel driveway with a large, green and gold “Nature Conservancy” sign facing the road.

Note: If parking is not available at the Hauser Center, you may park at the Township building area: Park behind the maintenance building without blocking any garage doors, or around the circle toward the ball field; on Saturday afternoon and all day on Sunday, parking is permitted in front of the post office, and a center row of vehicles can also be formed between the firehouse and the post office.

Long Pond is one of Audubon Society’s Important Bird Areas of Pennsylvania. The landscape hosts rare butterflies and moths, and birds that are declining throughout most of Pennsylvania such as osprey, northern harrier, eastern towhee, prairie warbler, whip-poor-will, common yellowthroat and chestnut-sided warbler. The area also hosts American Bittern and Northern Harrier—bird species not commonly observed in other parts of the region. Visitors are encouraged to enjoy prime bird watching from the early spring through fall.

This preserve's exceptionally diverse mesic till barrens—comprised of swamps, bogs, marshes and shallow ponds surrounded by woodlands with a heath understory of Rhodora, sheep-laurel, highbush blueberry and huckleberry bushes—attracts many species of boreal plants, insects, birds and mammals, and features rocks with glacial signatures more typical of Canada and New England.

Resources

Map of Long Pond (.pdf)
Pennsylvania Important Bird Area Program
Cathy’s Trail Map (.pdf)

Long Pond Preserve and Hauser Nature Center

This part of the Pocono mountains sustains the highest known assemblage of globally rare species in the state.

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Long Pond Preserve and Hauser Nature Center