Nestled in the heart of the Poconos, this 688-acre preserve offers users over 7 miles of trails through unique wetland habitat and stream access to Tunkhannock Creek.
Brian’s Trail | Orange | 2.1 miles
Brian’s Trail is the only trail that runs from the parking lot. Follow this long trail to connect to several others and pass through rich, diverse forest habitats along the way.
Red Trail | 1.9 miles
The nearly 2-mile Red Trail winds through the farthest extent of the Preserve while providing access to the Tunkhannock Creek. Users traverse wooden boardwalks that lead through rich wetland habitats before entering dense maple and hemlock forests.
Gray Trail | .2 miles
The Gray Trail may be short, but it helps connect Brian’s Trail to the Red and Purple Trails for users interested in doing a circuit.
Purple Trail | | .8 miles
Peat bogs, ponds, and other wetland habitats characterize this mile long loop, offering the opportunity to see unique plant and animal species.
Yellow Trail | .6 miles
The Yellow Trail connects several other trails as it loops through wooded and wetland habitats, offering opportunities to see wildlife along the way.
Green Trail | .7 miles
In the middle of the Preserve, this short loop runs near wetlands and other unique habitats throughout its course.
Blue Trail | 2.1 miles
Deep in the interior of Maple Tract Preserve, the Blue Trail wanders through dense evergreen and hardwood forests. Along the way, users cross small headwater tributaries that provide cold, clean water for the abundance of wildlife found at this Preserve.
Maple Tract is home to an abundance of wildlife including eastern red-spotted newts (watch your step!), snapping turtles, and an abundance of birds including golden-winged warblers, purple finches, scarlet tanagers, and northern harriers.
The dense, rich forests boast a variety of evergreen plants such as rhododendron, spruce, pine, and ferns. Peat bogs offer the native Rhodora candense, which bloom a beautiful purple flower around May, a place to grow. Other notable wildflowers include that of bog laurel and marsh calla. Northern highbush blueberry are known for growing around the bogs.
The Maple Tract Preserve is part of a larger complex of contiguous bog land known as the Fern Ridge Bog complex. Through the joint efforts of Wildland Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy, and Tunkhannock Township, these 1390 acres of vital habitat are perpetually protected from development, preserving vital habitat for declining species, and promoting healthy downstream waters.
The glacial bogs at the Maple Tract Preserve are part of its history. They shaped the ecology of the region tens of thousands of years ago.
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