Sunday, October 18, 2015

Mt. Wismer and Gravel Family Nature Preserves, PA


ABOUT THE PARK:
Hiking the Brodhead Watershed - Pocono Record

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 41.22678, -75.26395
Looking back towards Gravel Road so parking is on the left after pulling in.

TRAIL MAP:
Mt. Wismer and Gravel Family Nature Preserves - Brodhead Watershed Association.
Mt. Wismer and Gravel Family Nature Preserves, PA at EveryTrail

HIKE DISTANCE:  2.7 miles
Hiked together with Paradise Price Preserve (15 minutes away) - 4.9 miles

THE HIKE:
The weekend before I hiked in shorts.  Long undies for this hike!
The hike starts straight ahead at the gate.
There are no blazes or trail markers here, just follow the woods road along the field,  (Yes, that is frost on the field, BRRR)
Watch for red blazes leaving the woods road to the right.  The red trail is the more difficult trail up.  For the easier way up, keep straight and it will become the yellow trail.  For us that was the return route.
It starts off innocent looking.
But then the climb begins.  It's not really that the climb itself is that hard - no scrambles - but there is no defined trail.  You need to make your way from trail marker to trail marker over very loose rocks and it goes down steeply to the left. 
At the top, everything levels out on the blue trail.
A preview of what is to come.
That is the Delaware Water Gap on the horizon.  Mt. Wismer is a bald mountain so once you get up, it's views all around.
Gravel Pond down below.
The trail across the bald keeps going beyond the view back into the woods but we did not investigate further not knowing where the trail went so we backtracked on blue.
We passed yellow continuing on blue for a bit along some pretty rock outcrops.
Back to yellow for the descent.
Passing red back to...
... the parking lot.

7 comments:

  1. Gorgeous pictures!!
    Glad to see Shawnee doing so well!

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  2. this is so helpful! every time i hike i visit this site. mt. wismer is next in 5 days :D

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  3. I am considering taking my 11 year old nephew and 14 year old niece on this hike. Is this hike suitable for older children and teenagers?

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    Replies
    1. Should be fine. My dog was almost 15 when she did it.

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  4. I grew up there, it will be fine for your nephew and niece, it's a hike up the mountain for sure.

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