Tobyhanna State Park

Tobyhanna State Park

Loop around large Tobyhanna Lake on a flat, easy trail.

5.3 miles, easy, flat, old woods road – dirt, gravel.

  • Shorter: Go part way around and turn back instead of the whole loop.
  • Longer: 9.1 miles – add an out-and-back to Tobyhanna Rd on rocky Frank Gantz trail.
  • Longer: Add an out-and-back on Range Trail.
  • Nearby: Promised Land State Park.

Our two cents:

The Lakeside trail is similar to the trail around Manasquan Reservoir in NJ and is a good easy family-friendly loop. Nice foliage around the lake mid-October.

The Frank Gantz trail is an offshoot of the loop that can be used to extend the hike (all the way into Gouldsboro SP) but is super-duper rocky – even by PA standards.

So much so that we found it annoying to hike and don’t recommend taking Frank Gantz.

Fun Fact: The area was an artillery range during WWII and there are signs detailing what “unexploded munitions” you could possibly find – and, of course, shouldn’t touch…

Updated: 4/2020: Page refreshed, not re-hiked. 

Map:

Print the park map ahead, or possibly in the trail kiosk – there was one the day we hiked.

Books:

This hike, starting from different lot, is in Hiking the Poconos.

Parking: N41.19915° W75.40888°

Rt 80 W into PA, near Del. Water Gap NJ and Stroudsburg PA. Take 380N to exit 8 for 423E, towards Tobyhanna.

Follow 423/Main St left then right thru town. Park entrance on left, just before the dam.

Restrooms:

Composting toilet in the parking lot by the dam. Bathroom building by the beach.

Hike Directions:

Overview: Follow the Lakeside Trail (BLUE) clockwise from the parking lot near the dam, and loop around the lake.

0.0 – Walk past the trail kiosk at the end of the parking lot, and head towards the lake to pick up the Lakeside (BLUE) trail.

Easy trail

2.3 – Pass the start of Frank Gantz (RED).

Pass the Frank Gantz trail

3.1 – Pass the start of the Range Trail.

Views of the lake

3.2 – Lakeside Trail (BLUE) makes an easy to miss LEFT. [If you zip right past it at first like we did then you’ll start to wander towards the camp area.]

3.5 – Come out to a park road and turn LEFT and follow that over the water.

Walk on the shoulder of the road for a bit and then turn RIGHT to get back on to the trail. Don’t recall any markings for this.

The trail hugs the lake in this area.

4.2 – Pass the beach area (and restrooms). The trail continues close to the lake for nice views.

4.7 – Pass a dock near the boat rental area.

5.2 – Keep to the left trail and not up on the berm as you approach the dam spillway.

You can’t walk across the dam and instead cross below it on a bridge. [If you do walk on the berm to the dam, you can walk somewhat steeply back down at the end].

The dam


Hiked: 10/9/16.

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