Moon Lake State Forest Recreation Area facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Moon Lake State Forest Recreation Area |
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Moon Lake
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 Moon Lake State Forest Recreation Area
Location in Pennsylvania
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| Location | Plymouth, Luzerne, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Area | 942 acres (381 ha) |
| Established | 1968 |
| Named for | Moon Lake |
| Governing body | Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources |
Moon Lake State Forest Recreation Area is a cool outdoor spot in Plymouth Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. It covers about 942 acres, which is like 700 football fields! This area is part of the larger Pinchot State Forest.
You can visit Moon Lake for lots of fun activities. People love to go mountain biking, hiking, fishing, and watching birds here. It's also a great place to study nature. The park has open fields and wooded areas. These surround Moon Lake, a 48-acre lake fed by natural springs. Moon Lake State Forest Recreation Area is also part of the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor. It's easy to find, located near Pennsylvania Route 29.
Contents
Exploring Moon Lake's Location
Where Does the Water Go?
The main water feature at Moon Lake Recreation Area is Moon Lake itself. This lake is 48 acres big and gets its water from underground springs. It sits right in the middle of the park.
Moon Lake is part of the Susquehanna River Basin. This means its water eventually flows into the Susquehanna River. The lake is a pathway for fish that travel to different waters. Specifically, Moon Lake is in the Hunlock Creek watershed. A watershed is an area of land where all the water drains into a common point. The land around the lake is covered in forests. These forests act like a natural filter, protecting the lake from pollution.
You'll find many wetlands, small streams, and temporary ponds throughout the park. These are all connected! Moon Lake flows into a small stream called Tributary 28303. This stream then joins Tributary 28301, which flows into Hunlock Creek. Finally, Hunlock Creek empties into the Susquehanna River. From there, the water travels all the way to the Chesapeake Bay and then to the Atlantic Ocean!
Amazing Plants and Animals
What Plants Grow Here?
Moon Lake Recreation Area has many different types of habitats. You can find tall forests on hills and wet areas near the lake. The forests on the higher ground are part of the Appalachian–Blue Ridge forests region.
Some of the trees you might see include hickory, red maple, and tuliptree. On the lower parts of the hills, there are red and white oak trees. On the drier hilltops, you'll find chestnut, black oak, and white oak trees. Pine trees like white pine and eastern hemlock are also common throughout the park.
The ground beneath the trees is often covered with shrubs. Mountain laurel and blackberry bushes are very common. Other plants like ferns, striped maple, spicebush, black birch, and hornbeam also grow here.
Near the northeast corner of the lake, there's a special wetland area. It has shrubs and tall grasses. This area is often flooded or very wet during certain times of the year. There are four wetlands in the park that are officially listed on the National Wetlands Inventory map.
What Animals Live Here?
Moon Lake Recreation Area is home to many different animals! You might spot wild turkeys, grey squirrels, and woodchucks. Cottontail rabbits, Canada geese, and mallard ducks also live here. Look out for American woodcocks, ruffed grouse, and chipmunks.
Other animals you could see include raccoons, opossums, and minks. Muskrats, coyotes, and foxes also make their homes in the park. You might even see a porcupine or a White-tailed deer. If you're lucky, you might spot an American black bear!
The park is also home to various songbirds. Just be aware that copperhead snakes are also present in the park. Don't worry, there are no threatened or endangered animal species living in Moon Lake Recreation Area.
Fun Activities at Moon Lake
Mountain Biking Adventures
Moon Lake has about 30 miles of trails made just for mountain biking! These trails are also great for hiking, cross-country skiing, and nature watching. The trails are set up in a "stacked-loop" system, which means you can ride different loops that connect to each other.
The trails vary a lot. Some are wide and smooth, perfect for beginners. Others are narrow, rocky, and more challenging for experienced riders. There are even optional rock obstacles you can ride over, with easier paths around them if you prefer. The park also has a special area called Deacon Trials Area. This is where mountain bikers can practice their skills and tricks.
The main starting point for the trails is at the park's front entrance on Atherton Road, just off State Route 29. Remember, ATVs, snowmobiles, and motorboats are not allowed in the park. Volunteer groups help keep the trails in great shape. The trails are open all year round, so you can enjoy them in any season!
Fishing Fun
Fishing is a very popular activity at Moon Lake, and it's allowed for everyone. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission helps keep the lake stocked with thousands of trout every year. This means there are always plenty of fish to catch! In the winter, when the lake freezes over, ice fishing is a favorite pastime for many visitors.
Model Airplane Airfield
If you're into radio-controlled flying, Moon Lake has a special spot for you! A private club called the Wyoming Valley RC Flyers uses a southern part of the park. They have about 200 acres of open meadows where they fly their radio-controlled aircraft.
This airfield has everything they need. There's a pavilion for shelter, a landing strip for the planes, and a fence to keep spectators safe from the flying area. You'll also find picnic tables and a gravel road to get to the airfield.
A Look Back at Moon Lake's History
Moon Lake has always been a place for people to enjoy the outdoors. For many years, it offered both quiet activities like hiking and bird watching, and more active ones like boating and swimming. At its busiest, Moon Lake Park used to welcome about 150,000 visitors every year!
How It All Began
Moon Lake Park first opened in 1968. It was part of the Luzerne County Park System. The county wanted to give local people a nice open space for recreation. They were able to buy 650 acres, including Moon Lake, using special government funds.
An Olympic-sized swimming pool was built in 1968. It had a parking lot, sidewalks, a bathhouse, and areas for sunbathing and picnics. There was even a snack bar! In the summer of 1993, during a heatwave, 10,000 people visited the pool in just one month!
Sports fields were also built in the park. These included a softball field and other fields for different sports. There were also three tennis courts and a basketball court. A marina was built on the eastern side of Moon Lake. It had a building for restrooms and boat rentals, plus docks for boats.
A campground was located on a hill about 140 feet above Moon Lake. It had individual campsites for tents and RVs. Some sites even had electricity. Later, a Nature Education Center was built. This center was on another ridge, about 100 feet above the lake. It had a main building, outdoor meeting shelters, and a large picnic pavilion.
Changes and New Beginnings
Since the early 2000s, the park has grown much larger. About 749 acres were added, making the total area 1399 acres. This expansion was mainly for managing the park, but the main public areas stayed at 650 acres. More picnic areas and a new dock system were added to Moon Lake.
In 2008, a huge network of mountain biking trails was built. This was a team effort between the park staff, a local mountain biking group, and trail services. These trails are now one of the main reasons people visit the park.
However, in the late 2000s, Luzerne County started to cut funding for the park. Because of this, the swimming pool, public restrooms, and Nature Education Center closed in 2009. The campgrounds closed in 2010. Many of the park's buildings started to fall apart because they weren't maintained. Even with these closures, Moon Lake Park remained open for activities like mountain biking, hiking, and fishing.
A New Name for the Park
On December 22, 2014, the Luzerne County Council decided to give ownership of the park to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. They also transferred Seven Tubs Recreation Area and another 400-acre piece of land next to Moon Lake Park. The Council believed that the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) would do a better job managing these areas.
On June 30, 2015, the Governor signed a bill that officially transferred Moon Lake County Park to the DCNR. The DCNR plans to keep the park open for mountain biking, hiking, and fishing. They also plan to remove old buildings like the swimming pool and front office. There are also plans to build a trail connecting Moon Lake Park to the Susquehanna River.
On October 26, 2015, the transfer was made final. In 2015, the park was renamed Moon Lake State Forest Recreation Area. It is now part of the Pinchot State Forest system. Most of the old buildings will be taken down to make way for new improvements.
Other Cool Places Nearby
Parks to Explore
- Ricketts Glen State Park
- Frances Slocum State Park
- Nescopeck State Park
- Susquehanna Warrior Trail
- Pinchot State Forest
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