Kurmes Paradise Creek Nature Preserve

WHERE PARADISE BEGINS

In the heart of Kurmes Nature Preserve, Tank Creek and Yankee Run – both  high-quality coldwater creeks – join to form Paradise Creek. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has designated Paradise Creek an “Exceptional Value” stream, with water clean and cold enough to support wild trout.  Bob Hare photo Vernal pool at Kurmes Preserve

 

VERNAL POOL

Kurmes Nature Preserve features a vernal pool just ¼ mile from the trailhead, providing a delight for springtime hikers and an essential habitat for breeding amphibians such as frogs and salamanders. The pool typically fills with melted snow and rain each spring and dries up by summer, creating an environment that is free from fish that would eat the amphibians’ eggs.  Depending on the weather, sometime between February and April, the deafening chorus of male wood frogs signals the start of spring.  The frogs can be heard from the parking lot; simply follow the sound to reach the vernal pool.   

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HABITAT FOR SONGBIRDS

Kurmes Nature Preserve is almost entirely forested.  Combined with nearby state game lands and other protected lands in the area, the large forest attracts both breeding and migratory birds. More than 100 species of birds, including 13 warbler and four owl species, have been recorded at Kurmes.

DEVILS HOLE ROAD ACCESS

335 Devils Hole Road Cresco, PA 18326

The White Trail, accessed from the Devils Hole Road parking lot, is a 2.2-mile loop that begins along the railroad tracks at the parking lot. The trail heads away from the railroad tracks, winding through a small wetland before arriving at Tank Creek. The trail then travels along Tank Creek and through a thicket of rhododendron and mountain laurel. The trail makes a sharp turn to the left, heading uphill through dry oak forest, and arrives back at the parking lot. The Orange Trail is a small loop, only a third of a mile, that circles the vernal pool. This trail climbs above the vernal pool, providing a nice overlook.

 

PHOEBE SNOW ACCESS

289 Phoebe Snow Road Mount Pocono, PA 18344

There are three short, rocky, out-and-back trails (one-third of a mile each) from the gate opposite the Phoebe Snow parking area.  A highlight of these trails are the abundant blossoms of trailing arbutus in the early spring.