Big Pocono State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Big Pocono State Park |
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IUCN Category III (Natural Monument)
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Camelback Mountain (site of Big Pocono State Park) from Mt. Spring Lake
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 Big Pocono State Park
Location in Pennsylvania
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| Location | Monroe, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Area | 1,305.6 acres (5.284 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,978 ft (603 m) |
| Established | 1954 |
| Named for | Camelback Mountain (Big Pocono) |
| Governing body | Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources |
| Website | Big Pocono State Park |
Big Pocono State Park is a large park in northeastern Pennsylvania. It covers about 1,300 acres (526 hectares) in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. The park sits on top of Camelback Mountain. It is managed by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Camelback Ski Corporation.
From the mountain's peak, you can see far across eastern Pennsylvania. You can even spot parts of New Jersey and New York. A paved road, about 1.4 miles long, circles the summit. This road lets visitors enjoy amazing views in every direction. You can also see the famous Delaware Water Gap from here.
The park usually closes for winter after the deer hunting season ends in December. It reopens in the spring when the weather allows. However, the Camelback Ski Area stays open for winter sports.
Park History
At the start of the 1900s, a man named Henry S. Cattell owned the land where Big Pocono State Park is now. He loved the views from the mountain top. In 1908, he built a stone cabin there. For many years, the cabin was left unlocked. This way, anyone who needed shelter could use it.
After Cattell passed away, the Pennsylvania Game Commission bought the land in 1928. In 1950, the state leased part of the northern slope. This area was used for a new business. This company later became the Camelback Ski Corporation. Today, it is a very popular ski resort.
In 1953, the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters took over the land. This department is now called the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. They acquired about 1,300 acres. This included the land bought by the Game Commission and the ski area lease. It also included the area right around the mountain's summit.
Big Pocono State Park officially opened in 1954. This happened after new facilities were built. The scenic drive around the summit was also completed. For many years, the old Cattell Cabin was used as the park office. It also served as a nature museum.
The museum is no longer there, but the stone cabin still stands. It's a cool historical spot. The best part, though, is still the incredible views. You can find great observation points all around the park.
Fun Things to Do
Big Pocono State Park has a network of hiking trails. There are about 7 miles of trails that connect to each other. The trails have different types of ground and slopes. Park staff suggest that new hikers ask at the park office first. This is especially true before trying the steep and rocky North Trail.
Besides hiking, there's also a horseback riding trail. It's about 3 miles long. You can find the start of this trail near the park entrance, on the west side.
The park has three picnic areas with a total of 50 tables. The picnic area next to Cattell Cabin is in an open space. The east and south picnic areas are tucked away in the woods.
The Camelback Ski Area is on the north side of the mountain. It's the biggest place for skiing, snowboarding, and snowtubing in the Pocono Mountains. The ski area has 33 trails and 13 lifts. It also has two terrain parks and a halfpipe. They can make snow on 100% of their trails! You can even ski at night. The ski area also runs the Cameltop restaurant. This restaurant is near the summit and is open from Memorial Day to Columbus Day. In the summer, a waterpark called Camelbeach operates at Camelback. You can see it from Big Pocono State Park.
Hunting is allowed in certain parts of the park during hunting seasons.
Nearby State Parks
Here are some other state parks close to Big Pocono State Park (within 30 miles):
- Beltzville State Park (Carbon County)
- Delaware Canal State Park (Bucks and Northampton Counties)
- Gouldsboro State Park (Monroe and Wayne Counties)
- Hickory Run State Park (Carbon County)
- Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center (Northampton County)
- Lehigh Gorge State Park (Carbon and Luzerne Counties)
- Nescopeck State Park (Luzerne County)
- Promised Land State Park (Pike County)
- Swartswood State Park (New Jersey)
- Tobyhanna State Park (Monroe and Wayne Counties)
| Climate data for Big Pocono State Park, Elevation 1,909 ft (582 m), 1981-2010 normals, extremes 1981-2018 | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 64.3 (17.9) |
73.9 (23.3) |
82.4 (28.0) |
89.2 (31.8) |
91.0 (32.8) |
90.6 (32.6) |
95.8 (35.4) |
94.2 (34.6) |
92.0 (33.3) |
84.1 (28.9) |
75.7 (24.3) |
67.9 (19.9) |
95.8 (35.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 31.0 (−0.6) |
34.5 (1.4) |
42.2 (5.7) |
55.1 (12.8) |
66.1 (18.9) |
73.7 (23.2) |
78.0 (25.6) |
76.2 (24.6) |
69.5 (20.8) |
57.8 (14.3) |
46.6 (8.1) |
35.2 (1.8) |
55.6 (13.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 22.7 (−5.2) |
25.7 (−3.5) |
32.8 (0.4) |
44.9 (7.2) |
55.6 (13.1) |
63.8 (17.7) |
68.3 (20.2) |
67.0 (19.4) |
60.1 (15.6) |
48.7 (9.3) |
38.7 (3.7) |
27.8 (−2.3) |
46.4 (8.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 14.4 (−9.8) |
16.9 (−8.4) |
23.5 (−4.7) |
34.8 (1.6) |
45.1 (7.3) |
53.9 (12.2) |
58.7 (14.8) |
57.7 (14.3) |
50.7 (10.4) |
39.6 (4.2) |
30.9 (−0.6) |
20.4 (−6.4) |
37.3 (2.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −20.6 (−29.2) |
−11.3 (−24.1) |
−3.6 (−19.8) |
11.8 (−11.2) |
28.3 (−2.1) |
34.0 (1.1) |
39.5 (4.2) |
35.5 (1.9) |
29.1 (−1.6) |
18.0 (−7.8) |
1.5 (−16.9) |
−12.0 (−24.4) |
−20.6 (−29.2) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.95 (100) |
3.34 (85) |
3.96 (101) |
4.67 (119) |
4.79 (122) |
5.25 (133) |
4.44 (113) |
4.50 (114) |
5.47 (139) |
5.27 (134) |
4.44 (113) |
4.51 (115) |
54.59 (1,387) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 19.8 (50) |
14.2 (36) |
14.8 (38) |
3.5 (8.9) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
3.7 (9.4) |
11.9 (30) |
68.2 (173) |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 72.5 | 67.7 | 64.4 | 61.6 | 64.2 | 73.3 | 73.2 | 76.3 | 77.1 | 74.3 | 73.0 | 75.0 | 71.1 |
| Average dew point °F (°C) | 15.2 (−9.3) |
16.5 (−8.6) |
22.1 (−5.5) |
32.5 (0.3) |
43.7 (6.5) |
55.1 (12.8) |
59.4 (15.2) |
59.3 (15.2) |
52.9 (11.6) |
40.9 (4.9) |
30.8 (−0.7) |
20.9 (−6.2) |
37.5 (3.1) |
| Source: PRISM | |||||||||||||
