Promised Land State Park

About 3,000 acres in size, Promised Land State Park is in the Pocono Plateau, 1,800 feet above sea level, and is surrounded by 12,464 acres of Pennsylvania’s Delaware State Forest, including natural areas. The forests of the park consist primarily of beech, oak, maple and hemlock trees. Two lakes and several small streams add to the park’s outstanding scenic beauty.

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Directions - Weather  - Recreation  - Stay the Night  - Winter Recreation  - Winter Report  - Environmental Education  - Calendar of Events  - Accessibility  - History  - Wildlife Watching  - Nearby Attractions  - Volunteers  - Rules and Regs  - In an Emergency  - Contact Us  - Downloadables and Maps

Park Advisories

Directions

Promised Land State Park is in Pike County, 10 miles north of Canadensis, along PA 390. The park is easily reached from interstates 80 and 84. The park is within a one to three hour drive from Allentown, Easton, Bethlehem, Reading, Harrisburg, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, and is about 100 miles north of Philadelphia and 35 miles from the New York and New Jersey state borders.

Recreational Opportunities

Hiking  - Biking  - Trail Biking  - Horseback Riding  - Picnicking  - Swimming  - Boating  - Fishing - Hunting  - Orienteering  - Wildlife Watching  - Cross-country Skiing  - Snowmobiling  - Ice Fishing  - Ice Skating  - Cabins  - Camping 

Fishing: The 422-acre Promised Lake and the 173-acre Lower Lake offer great opportunities for fishing, including ice fishing. The common fish species are largemouth and smallmouth bass, pickerel, muskellunge, yellow perch, sunfish and catfish. Lower Lake is approved trout waters and is stocked with brook, brown and rainbow trout. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission laws apply. For complete information on fishing rules and regulations in Pennsylvania, visit the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Web site.

The New Trail System: Designated recreational trails in this area are marked with a vertical blue blaze. At each trail intersection, a sign will designate the trail name, trail uses, equipment permitted, distances, directions, and other pertinent information. Permitted trail usage is designated by international symbols. Any other markings are NOT relevant to this trail system. Additional trail information and descriptions are available at the park office.

Hiking: There are about 50 miles of hiking trails in Promised Land State Park and the surrounding state forest, providing access to many natural scenic places. Hike Bruce Lake Road to a natural glacial lake, or see the little waterfalls along Little Falls Trail, or walk a loop around Conservation Island. Splendid opportunities exist for nature study, relaxation and exploration.

The trails lead through areas rich in historic and scenic interest. This is especially true from mid-June until mid-July when the mountain laurel and rhododendron are in bloom and again in mid-October at the height of the fall foliage.

Motorized vehicles are prohibited on all hiking trails, except snowmobiles, which are allowed on designated snowmobile trails. Before hiking, let someone know where you are going and when you will return. Take a map, stay on the trails and plan to return before dusk. Wear proper attire and footwear when hiking. Be aware of hunting seasons and hunting areas within the park and wear fluorescent orange clothing during hunting seasons.

Horseback Riding: Promised Land State Park provides access to selected equestrian trails on state forest lands. Rentals are not available.

Biking: Riders share the road on the 6.5-mile paved road around Promised Land Lake. Bikes are permitted on designated hiking trails.

Trail Biking: Bikes are permitted on designated trails. Explore the park map for more information. Adjacent Delaware State Forest land also has trails for bikes.

Boating: electric motors only
The 422-acre Promised Land Lake and the 173-acre Lower Lake have five boat launching areas. Five mooring areas offer a total of 240 mooring spaces rented on a seasonal basis.

Motorboats must display a boat registration from any state. Non-powered boats must display one of the following: boat registration from any state; launching permit or mooring permit from Pennsylvania State Parks that are available at most state park offices; launch use permit from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

For complete information on boating rules and regulations in Pennsylvania, visit the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Web site.

Boat Rental: Located off of PA 390, south of the Day Use Area, the boat concession offers rentals by the hour, day, overnight or week. Types of boats include rowboats, canoes, one and two-person kayaks and paddleboats. Electric motors are available for rent. The Boat Concession operates daily from the Saturday immediately preceding Memorial Day through Labor Day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Sunday, and holidays. The Concession also operates the two weekends before Memorial Day and the two weekends after Labor Day. 570-676-4117

Hunting and Firearms: About 450 acres are open to hunting, trapping and the training of dogs during established seasons. Common game species are deer, bear and turkey. Adjacent forestry land has additional areas open to hunting.

Hunting woodchucks, also known as groundhogs, is prohibited. Dog training is only permitted from the day following Labor Day to March 31 in designated hunting areas. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Pennsylvania Game Commission rules and regulations apply. Contact the park office for accessible hunting information.

Use extreme caution with firearms at all times. Other visitors use the park during hunting seasons. Firearms and archery equipment may be uncased and ready for use only in authorized hunting areas during hunting seasons. In areas not open to hunting or during non-hunting seasons, firearms and archery equipment shall be kept in the owner’s car, trailer or camp.

For complete information on hunting rules and regulations in Pennsylvania, visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission Web site.

Orienteering: Beginner and intermediate orienteering courses are near the Rock Oak Ridge Trailhead, near the Pines Campground.

Picnicking: The Picnic Area is by Promised Land Lake and has many picnic tables in a scenic woodland setting. The Picnic Area has parking areas, water, garbage containers, sand volleyball court and restrooms. The Main Beach, boat rental and Refreshment Stand are all within a short walk. Two picnic pavilions may be reserved up to 11 months in advance for a fee. Unreserved picnic pavilions are free on a first-come, first-served basis. Make a reservation Prior to arrival, busses must get a permit to be in the picnic area.

Refreshment Stand: Located in the Day Use Area off of PA 390, the Food Concession offers numerous items including pizza, hotdogs, hamburgers, pierogies, nachos, pretzels, French fries, chicken nuggets, soda, candy, and ice cream. The Concession is open from the Saturday immediately preceding Memorial Day through Labor Day from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily. 570-676-0311

Swimming: There are two sand beaches that are open from late-May to mid-September, 8 a.m. to sunset. Swim at your own risk. Please read and follow posted rules for swimming.

The Main Beach is in the Picnic Area. The Pickerel Point Beach is on the end of Pickerel Point.

All children ten years of age or younger must be accompanied by a person at least 14 years of age. All groups at the beach must meet the state park adult to child ratio requirements for supervision.

Stay the Night

Camping: modern and rustic campsites, some with electricity
There are four camping areas. All campgrounds are near swimming, boating, fishing and hiking. The maximum stay in all camping areas is fourteen days during the summer season and 21 days during the off-season. Campers must vacate the park for 48 hours before setting up again. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited in the park.

Lower Lake Campground is at the western edge of Lower Lake. Conditions permitting, portions of the campground are open from Memorial Day weekend through Columbus Day. The campground has flush toilets and hot showers. Some sites have electric hook-ups.

Pickerel Point Campground is on a peninsula on the southern side of Promised Land Lake. Walk-in campsites are on the lakeshore. Pickerel Point is open for year-round camping, but access cannot be guaranteed during severe winter storms. This rustic area has vault toilets. Pay showers are in the Picnic Area. An unguarded swimming area is at the end of the peninsula.

The Pines Campground is at the northwestern end of Promised Land Lake and is open from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day Weekend. The restrooms have flush toilets. Pay showers are in the Picnic Area. A trail leads to the Picnic Area and the Main Beach. There are accessible campsites.

Tucked into the trees and rocks, Deerfield Campground is just south of Promised Land Lake and is open Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend. This rustic area has flush toilets. Pay showers are in the Picnic Area. Explore the campground maps. Explore camping for more information. Pets are allowed in designated campsites. Explore pets in campgrounds for more information.

Make a reservation

Cabins: Nestled in hemlocks, adjacent to Lower Lake, the Bear Wallow Cabin Colony has twelve rustic rental cabins constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. These rustic cabins each have a fireplace, electricity and an adjacent private bathroom. One cabin is accessible.

Scattered around Promised Land State Park are privately owned cabins on leased land. Please respect the property rights of these cabin owners.

Explore the cabin map.

Explore cabins for more information.

Make a reservation

Winter Activities

Explore the Winter Report for current snow and ice depths.

Snowmobiling: Registered snowmobiles may be used on more than 23 miles of designated snowmobile trails. The trails, which are on both state park and state forest lands, are open daily after the end of deer season in late December, weather permitting. Snowmobile maps are available at the park office.

Cross-country Skiing: Skiing and snowshoeing are permitted on all trails. Bruce Lake Natural Area and Conservation Island are the best trails for skiing.

Ice Fishing: Conditions permitting, ice fishing is popular on both lakes. Bass, pickerel, panfish and on Lower Lake, trout, are the common species captured through the ice.

Ice Skating: Conditions permitting, ice skating occurs on Promised Land Lake. Contact the park office for information.

Environmental Education and Interpretation

Spring through fall, school programs are offered on a wide variety of topics and levels. Everyone is invited to our traditional summer weekend campfire programs.

The park has a small museum that features displays of natural features found in the area and artifacts and the story of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).

A one-mile self-guiding interpretive trail is on Conservation Island on Promised Land Lake. A trail guide is available for investigating different habitats of this island.

Explore the Calendar of Events for a listing of events from today forward.

Explore environmental education and interpretation for more information.

Access for People with Disabilities

This symbol indicates facilities and activities that are accessible. If you need an accommodation to participate in park activities due to a disability, please contact the Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks:
888-PA-PARKS (voice)
888-537-7294 (TTY)
711 (AT&T Relay Services)

History

The land that became Promised Land State Park was hunting grounds for the Minsi Tribe of the Wolf Clan of the Lenni-Lenape Indians (Delaware).

The religious group, the Shakers, purchased land in the area. After contracting the forests to be timbered, the Shakers left the area.

Early settlers of the area erected sawmills to process the large stands of conifer and hardwood trees. The land was repeatedly clear-cut. With the loss of trees came erosion and forest fires, and migration of wildlife from the area.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania purchased the land in 1902. Promised Land was the fourth Pennsylvania state park. The Commonwealth worked to protect and reclaim the area and the forest and wildlife began to return. The first park facilities were open to the public in 1905.

In 1933, to relieve the rampant unemployment of the Great Depression, President Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The young men in the CCC received food, clothes and a small paycheck, in return for building roads, trails and recreational facilities, fighting fires, planting trees and performing many other conservation activities. Camp S-139 opened in May of 1933 and closed in July of 1941. The hard working young men transformed the land in and around Promised Land State Park.

For more information on the CCC, explore the Civilian Conservation Corps Online Archive.

On Sunday evening, May 31, 1998, an F-2 tornado (winds of 113 -157 mph) passed through Promised Land State Park. It cut a northeasterly path through the park and crossed Lower Lake Road, PA 390 and North Shore Road near Sucker Brook. Over 500 people were trapped overnight in the park, but no one was seriously hurt. The park office has copies of After the Wind Died Down, a booklet about the tornado and its aftermath.

Nearby Attractions

For information on nearby attractions, contact the Pocono Mountains Vacation Bureau. www.800poconos.com

Pennsylvania's Delaware State Forest: Promised Land State Park is surrounded by 12,464 acres of the Delaware State Forest There are two natural areas and recreational opportunities like hiking, trail biking, hunting, fishing and snowmobiling. The 2,845-acre Bruce Lake Natural Area contains two lakes, wetlands and unique plants. Bruce Lake is a natural glacier lake. Pine Lake Natural Area has a ten-acre glacial bog. Camping is NOT permitted in this state forest.

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area: Comprising 70,000 acres of the Delaware River shoreline in PA and NJ, this area offers canoeing, fishing, swimming, hiking, wildlife viewing, waterfalls and historic areas. 570-588-2451

In an Emergency

Contact a park employee or dial 911.
For directions to the nearest hospital, look on bulletin boards or at the park office.

Nearest Hospital:
Wayne County Memorial Hospital
Route 6
Honesdale, PA 18431
570-253-8100

For More Information Contact

Promised Land State Park
RR 1 Box 96
Greentown, PA 18426-9735
570-676-3428
Manager: Leo Davidovich

E-mail: promisedlandsp@state.pa.us
An equal opportunity employer

For general state park information or to reserve a campsite, cabin, picnic pavilion or an organized group tenting area, call toll-free 888-PA-PARKS, Mon. to Sat. 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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