PA DCNR Webpage for the Thunder Swamp Trail
PA DCNR Map for the Thunder Swamp Trail
PA DCNR Backcountry Regulations
After several false starts over the past few years (where my hiking plans were canceled at the last minute) I finally made it to Delaware State Forest in the Poconos region of PA to hike the Thunder Swamp Trail (TST). The TST is a 25.4 mile trail network that consists of a 17.2 mile main loop, with a 5 mile spur trail that connects to a smaller, 3.2 mile loop. Most people who backpacking the TST hike only the main loop, but the spur trail and side loop are required for completion of the State Forest Trails Award that is sponsored by PA DCNR and the Keystone Trails Association (KTA). To hike the full TST is a 30.4 mile hike, since one must do the spur trail twice. I did the full trail in 3 days and 3 nights (plus a short bit of hiking on the first evening). I did the main loop counterclockwise, starting and ending at the main trailhead on PA 402 at the south end of the loop, and I did the small loop clockwise.
I arrived late at the trailhead on the first evening, and decided to hike the 1.2 miles in to Saw Creek to camp for the evening. I ended up hiking in a light drizzle and warm (and somewhat humid) weather. The amphibians are out and about in force that evening- I heard a constant chorus of spring peepers and saw a few spotted salamanders. I ended up setting up camp in a small clearing a few hundred feet northeast of the bridge over Saw Creek.
The morning dawned gray but as I packed up, patches of blue sky began to appear and the sky soon changed to blue skies with plenty of sunshine. I spent some time poking around Saw Creek and the lower stretches of Red Rock Run. The area is obviously moderately popular with day hikers and overnight campers, and there are a number of established tent sites in the vicinity that clearly get somewhat regular use. A short distance upstream on Red Rock Run is a set of cascades and a pretty decently sized sliding waterfall:
I wanted to get in some decent mileage on the first day, so I didn't spend too long poking around, and soon I was packed up and headed upstream along Red Rock Run. It wasn't long before I encountered the first rocky stretch. PA is infamous for its rocks, and I have to say that so far, the TST has the worst rocky sections that I've encountered while hiking in the state.
The hike north along the eastern stretch of the main loop is fairly straightforward, and it wasn't long before I found myself at the junction where the side trail begins. There was a trail register near the start of the spur trail that had a log book with entries going back all the way to the summer of 1999- nearly 17 years! To avoid carrying an overnight pack the full length of the spur trail and the side loop around Big Bear Swamp, I elected to set up camp at a primitive spot hidden off trail just south of Broadhead Road.
While heading east towards the side loop, I decided to take a side trip out to visit Painter Pond, based on a recommendation from forum member jmitch. While the Painter Swamp Trail (which leads to the pond) was pretty overgrown and poorly maintained, it was definitely worth the side trip to see the pond:
Past the pond, I took another connector trail that linked me back up with the TST and continued eastward. Little Bushkill Creek was also particularly scenic:
Soon, I reached the smaller side loop. This 3.2 mile loop circumnavigates Big Bear Swamp. It's a location within the Stillwater Natural Area that feels wild and remote. According to the DCNR brochure for the trail, Big Bear Swamp was used as a hideout for deserters from the military during their Civil War. These deserters lived off the land, staying in shacks that were hidden deep within the swamp, away from where they could readily be found. The trail doesn't offer much for views of the swamp, though, other than the occasional glance through spruces and hemlocks from the edge:
Hiking around Big Bear Swamp took me a little bit less than an hour and a half, and soon I was on my way back to camp. I reached my campsite right as the sun was disappearing through the trees. My total mileage for the day was approximately 17 miles, or more than half of the trail. In contrast to the previous night, which had been quite warm, the temperatures dropped down into the upper 20's. I had a 12 degree bag, though, so I stayed nice and warm all night.
The third day dawned sunny but a bit more cloudy than the previous day had been. After breaking down camp, I set out back to the junction to rejoin the main loop section of the TST. Here, I continued west, at first through a recently harvested area, and then descending back towards Saw Creek. The trail crosses the creek on a small and dilapted old stone dam. Downstream of the dam are several foundations that look as if they may have been a mill of some sort. Saw Creek is a bit smaller at the northern of the two crossings, but still scenic:
After crossing Saw Creek, the trail follows an old woods road to the northern of the two PA Route 402 crossings. West of the road, the trail follows along the edge of Big Swamp, and then climbs a ridge, passing through a corridor of forest that separates two recently harvested areas. It then descends to Spruce Run, which is little more than a trickle when the trail first encounters it.
On the west side of a large wetland, near a tributary of Spruce Run that drains Big Swamp to the east, there is a very nice campsite. From the south end of the wetland there is also a nice view out over the wetland itself:
At this point, I stopped and considered my itinerary. Originally, I had planned to set up camp along Spruce Run and use the afternoon to explore Pennel Run Natural Area to the west. I'd read trip reports online that indicated that the trails there hadn't been maintained in years, though, and were impossible to follow, so I decided against this. I was also making excellent time, and could easily finish the trail that day if I chose to do so. But another night in the woods was a priority, so I decided against this as well. My choices were to either camp at the site on Spruce Run, or continue to Bushkill Creek and camp there. The site on Spruce Run was very inviting, but also surrounded by a number of widow makers. In the end, I chose to spend an hour relaxing and eating lunch at Spruce Run, and then continue south to camp at Bushkill Creek.
The hike to Bushkill Creek was rocky (as usual) but went by fairly quickly once I set out from Spruce Run. I decided to set up camp in the first tent site I found on Bushkill Creek, a nice site that was somewhat flat, located right where the trail first encounter the creek. There was a well established tent site directly across the creek. At one point, I saw a few younger guys hanging out in it (and I was afraid that they were the scouts for a woods party that would disrupt the solitude of the area, but they left after a few minutes and I saw no one else for the rest of the night). As dusk fell, the wood cocks were doing their mating displays in the forest nearby. That night was a bit warmer than the previous night had been, and I heard barred owls a few time throughout the night.
The third morning dawned grey and cloudy, and I knew that there was rain in the forecast but that it wasn't supposed to arrive until late afternoon. I also only had 3 miles of the trail remaining, so I wasn't in a huge hurry. I packed up and set out, at first hiking alongside Bushkill Creek. The area along the creek is also obviously moderately popular as a camping destination and I passed a number of established tent sites. there were some nice views out over the creek as well:
The final few miles were pretty straightforward, although the trail did throw one final stretch that was extremely rocky in my path as I approached the road.
The TST is generally a flat trail, but I would rank it as moderate in difficulty for the rocks alone. While the entire trail isn't rocky, much of it is, and after a few miles you certainly begin to feel the strain in your ankles, knees, and hips. I could easily see a younger or an inexperienced hiker quickly being frustrated by the rugged terrain. Finding good ground for tenting is also an issue wherever the rocks are prevalent, and this trail is definitely a hammock camper's dream trail. I think I would personally rate the Pinchot Trail (a 26 mile loop trail about 30 miles west of the TST in Pinchot State Forest) as a somewhat easier hike that is more beginner friendly than the TST. The Pinchot Trail does have some rocky sections, but I don't remember them being as frequent or as lengthy as on the TST.
Additionally, I found the trail to generally be easy to follow, but parts of it clearly get overgrown in the summer when the leaves and herbaceous growth are out. There were a couple of spots where I could see that following the trail may be difficult in warmer months when the foliage is out in force. I did see some signs of recent trail maintenance (the spur trail and side loop around Big Bear Swamp had been cleared of blowdown a few weeks before), but it appears that vegetative growth along the trail is something that the DCNR/KTA have had a hard time keeping up with.
Overall, it was an OK hike. Not horrible (except for maybe the rocks), and there were a few scenic spots along the way. I don't think I'll ever return to hike the entire trail again, although there are a few spots on the trail I could see myself re-visiting to camp at for a single night. I think the trails biggest asset is the opportunities for solitude that it offers, which makes it somewhat unique when you consider its proximity to population centers like the metro NYC area (the Delaware Water Gap is literally only a few miles down the road and sees far more use than the TST does). Anyone from the NYC area looking to find solitude on an overnight trip without a lengthy drive might find it worthwhile to hike at least a section of the TST. Bushkill Creek and the Saw Creek/Red Rock Run area obviously get at least moderate levels of day and overnight use, but much of the rest of the trail is clearly infrequently used for camping.
Also, thanks to Jeff Mitchell (forum member jmitch) for the advice he gave on the trail, and for his guidebook, Backpacking Pennsylvania, without which I still probably would have no clue about the abundance of backpacking opportunities in PA.