Owl Creek Reservoir Recreation Area

I found this recreation area about a year ago. I was just driving down a road I had never been on before and the large owl on the sign above caught my attention. Stopped for a photo and was surprised when I read the sign. Owl Creek Reservoir Recreation Area, I live close by and I had never heard of its existence before. So I went and parked my car in a pull off just past the sign and started down the trail and it turned out to be an interesting place.

This park is located in Schulkill County and is owned by the city of Tamaqua. It is not far from Mauch Chunk Lake Park on W White Bear Dr (Lentz Tr. turns into this). If you aren't looking for it though, you would probably pass right by it. Because of this, I don't think many people know about this area and I have never seen more than two other people there on a single trip. Most of my times there I have not run into another person at all.

The walk in to the first reservoir is not far at all and the massive pines that line the access road in make you feel like you are stepping back in time. Well at least for me, you might just see large trees.

On my first walk in the first reservoir was just being filled. This photo is from last month and it still is not filled completely. It is holding a lot more water than it was when I first set eyes on it though.

The view from the middle of the dam.

The dock is all ready to go and just waiting for the water. Artificial fish habitats have also been placed throughout the reservoir, the water has risen enough to cover all of them.

The trailheads here are not always easy to spot, this bench helped me find one where the entrance had become a little overgrown.

The trails themselves seem to be well maintained. If you are looking for a really easy hike though stick to the access roads. Some of the side trails can be soggy and slippery.

This is the second reservoir. It has filled completely, but is smaller than the first. Fishing is allowed in this area, but I was told by one of the few people I ran into there that it was just stocked last year and a catch and release policy is in effect. Which makes sense. Walking the shores I have only seen smaller panfish and catfish.

The view from the middle of this dam.

If you are looking for something different, this park has a fire tower for educational purposes. The sign posted on it gives information about the local fire towers and when they were in use.

I have never come across information for public programs here. So, for the first time, just now, I checked online. There is a facebook page entitled Owl Creek Reservoir Happenings, which does post events that are held here.

All of the facilities are newer and they seem to be kept up. None of which seem to get much use though.

I have to say this place does have character, the owl sign at the entrance, the fire tower and this stump full of fake bones. It is something a little bit different.  

Mauch Chunk Lake Park: Part 3

The last access to Mauch Chunk Lake Park off of Lentz Trail takes you to the Carbon County Environmental Education Center. If you are at the park for a weekend and you want to see some wildlife close up this is a must stop.

Throughout the year the education center puts on a variety of environmental education programs. The area itself is open to the public daily and if you aren't there at the right time for a public program don't worry. Just go for a short walk around the grounds.

Some days you can be greeted as soon as you step out of your car.

Take the time to test out your wingspan and see where you rank among the birds.

If you see this entrance you have found the birds! A small boardwalk loop takes you around multiple cages with a variety of different species. Please be respectful to the birds all of which are injured in some way and they don't need anyone making their days worse.

Rough-Legged Hawk.

Great Horned Owls.

Bald Eagle.

Golden Eagle.

One of my favorites, the Barred Owl.

Most of the regular paths around this area are well maintained and flat.

I will caution though that even with boardwalks the trails in places can be muddy and slippery. 

If you follow the trail far enough you will find this observation blind that overlooks the upper end of the lake.

Some days can be good for waterfowl, others for turtle watching, then there are the days when you really only see fishermen.

You can also find the trailhead to go to the opposite shore at this location as well. It looks well marked and is to a point, but once you pass that you seem to be on your own to track down the trail. 

There is also a nice stream study station for school groups. Here kids can learn about macroinvertebrates and other stream dwelling creatures.

The stream is small and the access down to it is not that great, but any place for kids to learn about the environment is a good thing.

Poison Ivy and Jewelweed

This is the dreaded Poison Ivy. I have only ever heard one person say to me something nice about it. That one thing changed my perception. "Birds eat it, its good to have around." That was enough for me, probably didn't change your mind. But, birds do eat the berries and they stay on the plant well into winter, giving a much needed food source in a desperate time. The rashes are horrible, I remember being covered in them as a kid. That is what you are probably thinking about right now. Horrible, horrible rashes. Keep those in mind as you read about this next plant.  

This is Jewelweed. Much less known than Poison Ivy, but in my opinion a much cooler plant. This particular specimen is not yet flowering, but will produce either a yellow or orange flower. I have seen both in Eastern PA. The seed pod that can be found in the later part of the year does something spectacular, well spectacular if you are a kid, maybe just interesting if you are an adult. When you touch the seed pod it seems to explode. Pieces curl up others go flying and I just remember being fascinated by it when I was young. It is kind of like natures version of bubble wrap. 

Jewelweed gets its name from the silvery color you can see on the bottom of its leaves when you put it under water. So why do I have a post with Poison Ivy and Jewelweed? You may already know. Taking a Jewelweed stem, crushing it up and applying the liquid to areas you think you may have just brushed against poison ivy can prevent you from getting a rash. Don't believe me? Well it has been proven scientifically. I have used it for years and the cool thing is a lot of times you find Jewelweed in areas where there is a lot of poison ivy. It does seem to work. Washing it off with soap does work too and is the preferred method.

If you are interested in how this plant was tested for effectiveness, check out Abrams et al. article entitled The effectiveness of jewelweed, Impatiens capensis, the related cultivar I. balsamina and the component, lawsone in preventing post poison ivy exposure contact dermatitis. It is interesting, but maybe not for everyone.

Mauch Chunk Lake Park: Part 2

Moving up the lake I am going to start where the last post did, except when you turn into the main driveway I am taking you right instead of left. The roads to the left lead to the campgrounds and day use areas. To access this part of the park there is a fee. For the day use areas the current fees are as follows:

Adults: $3.00 (resident of Carbon County) $5 (non-resident)

Children: $2.00 (resident) $3.00 (non-resident)

Children under 3, the disabled and adults over 65 receive free admission.

The camping rates vary dependent upon site. To check pricing or make reservations you can call the park office between 8:30 and 4:30 Mon-Fri at (570) 325-366. 

If you live in the area you can also stop by the office to make reservations for camping. 

The day use area has one of the largest beaches in the area.

There are also nice picnicking spots between the beach and the campgrounds. Today was a weekday after a rain and no one was out enjoying a cookout by the water. You may want to keep that in mind. Weekends are usually much busier so if you can get out on a weekday you don't have to be around as many people. 

There are cottages available and the campsites are pretty much the same as other locations. There are some waterfront sites. I took some friends here for a weekend last year. The overall experience was pretty good. It was on a weekend so there were a lot of people. A group near had a few drinks and got into an argument with other campers. Alcohol is not permitted anywhere within Mauch Chunk Lake Park. The local police did come in after the park rangers warned the group to settle down and they did not. If you do enough camping though, you learn that this happens just about anywhere on busy weekends. My friends had a good time so, even a little commotion doesn't ruin a camping trip.   

There are trails that lead out of the campground towards the top of the lake. They can be accessed from parking lots other than the campgrounds and are free to walk and no pass is needed. If you take them be prepared for an adventure. Portions of the trail are not maintained and you may have to do some climbing over trees or deciding which path is the right one to take. The trails are not clearly labeled, but are supposed to go around the entirety of the lake.

These trees have been down for years. On the other side is a boardwalk again with a tree overtop. The trails are still fun to hike, but maybe aren't for the beginner or those who don't like working around obstacles. 

A second boat launch is located at the upper portion of the lake. There are mooring sites here which can be rented out for the year and this is usually the place I go to launch my boat or do some fishing from shore. 

Around the lake there are a lot of little surprises if you are willing to look for them. This is a newly emerged Calico Pennant Dragonfly. Its wings are not yet hardened, it does not have its full coloration yet and you can see its larval exoskeleton still clinging to the grass blade.

A calm day on the lake with spectacular views.

If you are lucky you may even run into a Bald Eagle like I did today. I heard it from the opposite shore and paddled across the lake to get some shots. 

There will be one more part to the Mauch Chunk Lake Park posts and I have saved one of the best things found in the park for last. Well, that is, if you like birds. I will try to have the next part up early next week. In the meantime I am going to try to add some plant and animal posts to show you some of the more common creatures we have around Eastern PA.