Mauch Chunk Lake Park, PA and 100 Mile View

ABOUT THE PARK:
Mauch Chunk Lake Park - Carbon County, PA
Switchback Railroad - Visit PA
Be aware that the overlook part of this hike will be under development so if you intend to hike this in future years it might be wise to check if the overlook is still open to the public or if it has become someone's back yard.

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.843486, -75.803178

Boat launch parking at Mauch Chunk Lake Park.

TRAIL MAP
None that I am aware of but the trails are shown on the Gaia, Trailforks and AllTrails apps.
An Outdoor Adventure Guide to Jim Thorpe & the Western Poconos by David Matsinko

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HIKE DISTANCE: 10.6 miles

THE HIKE:

Facing Mauch Chunk Lake, head left.

At the intersection, right on the Switchback Trail (no sign at this intersection).

Coming up on a yellow house that is some sort of park building.

Keeping right on the Switchback Trail.  The Orchard Trail is to the left.

Where the Switchback Trail turns left, we turned right ...

... to cross the dam.

Mauch Chunk Lake from the dam.

At the far end of the dam, a very faint trail continues.  This is the Shoreline Trail but there is no sign here.

This unmarked trail is a little challenging to follow at times but we managed to stay with it all the way to the top.

The trail ascends steeply but never any scrambles.  It becomes better defined towards the top.

And here we are at the Fire Line Trail (no sign) where we turned left.

Here is the sign saying we came off of the Shoreline Trail.

The Fire Line Trail is a straight shot along the ridge.

In the 2011 edition of "An Outdoor Adventure Guide to Jim Thorpe" it says there are mile markers every half mile but this is the only one I saw.

The sign says "Switchback Trail" but it means that the trail leads back down to the Switchback Trail.  (At the other end on the Switchback Trail, the sign says "Fire Line Trail" meaning it goes up to the Fire Line Trail.)  It was straight ahead for us.

The trail now becomes more curvy and rocky.

An old mine off to the side.

Either way at this intersection.  We went right.

And the views begin!

Coming up on a picnic table where we took a break.

Our break view of Lehigh Gap.

Continuing on with views all along the way.

After walking past this gate from the other side, I turned around to read the sign.  A winery?  Really?

Then we arrived at the official 100 Mile View where people can actually drive up.  But why if you can hike there?

There is a huge board that shows what you are seeing on the horizon.

To the left ...

... center ...

... to the right.

I was wondering why that board listed schools, stores and a "location of new Super Walmart."  Now it all made sense.  The overlook is being used as a marketing ploy to lure people up in hopes they will buy a lot and have a home built.  Those "FREE 100  Mile View" signs are everywhere along the drive in.

We were standing in what will be someone's front yard. 

We continued on following a faintly blazed blue trail which led to ...

... the Flagstaff Ballroom.  The booklet "An Outdoor Adventure Guide to Jim Thorpe" says, "'The Ballroom in the Clouds' once featured the country's top Big Bands including Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller."  We veered to the left of the parking lot ...

... for views of Jim Thorpe down below.

Heading back and there is one of those development promo signs.

We kept left the way we came, right is a private driveway.

Passing by 100 Mile View again.

Construction equipment.  Grrrr.

Brodie eyeing his nemesis, Lehigh Gorge.  He really thought he would die the day he climbed that.

Stopping at our break spot again.  The people who drive up don't even bother to come out this far so we had the place all to ourselves both times.

Zooming in to the Blue Mountain Ski area.  You can even see skiers on the slope (the teeny tiny dots).

More teeny tiny dots on Brodie's paws.  Those would be snow fleas.  They are totally harmless and don't bite and really aren't even fleas, just called that because of the way they jump around.

Heading back around the other side of that loop from earlier.

Descending on what is called Haul Road but there is no sign.

This dumped us out on Flagstaff Road where we turned left ...

... and road walked a short distance.  There is parking inside the bend and just the other side of that bend, about where that red truck is ...

... a very short, steep trail that leads directly down to the Switchback Trail where we turned left.

Mauch Chunk Creek

Some ruins along the way.

We tried to cross that bridge to see where that went but there were people on the other side with an off leash dog so we retreated back to the Switchback Trail rather than having to deal with that.

This is the other end of that trail where it says "Switchback Trail" at the top, indicating where it leads, not the trail name.

The Switchback Trail is a tunnel of rhododendron and hemlocks.

I saw this Board Bottom Trail and looking at the app it appeared as through it would loop around to where I saw that little bridge earlier so we gave it a shot in hopes those people with the off leash dog would be gone by the time we looped around.

Indeed, they were gone and there was not only one bridge, rather this one ...

... then the other one we had seen earlier.  Right on the Switchback Trail to repeat what we had just hiked before.

Left goes to the dam; we kept right.

Looking back at the dam.

Where the Switchback Trail continued straight, we turned left to retrace back.

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