Frances Slocum

A Pennsylvania Recreational Guide for Frances Slocum State Park Frances Slocum State Park Frances Slocum State Park consists of 1,035 acres in northeastern Pennsylvania’s Luzerne County. The horseshoe shaped, 165-acre lake is popular for boating and fishing, and is a home to many species of birds, fish, and wildlife. The many hiking and mountain biking trails and the large day use area attract visitors to picnic and explore the forests. Directions The park is five miles from Dallas and ten miles from Wilkes-Barre. From Exit 170B of I-81, take PA 309 north 7.2 miles. Turn right (east) onto Carverton Road and drive for 4.2 miles. Turn left (north) on West 8th Street and drive 1.3 miles. Turn left (west) onto Mt. Olivet Road and drive one mile to the park entrance on the left. Reservations Make online reservations at www.visitPAparks.com or call toll-free 888-PA-PARKS (888-727-2757), 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday to Saturday, for state park information and reservations. Recreational Opportunities CAMPING: modern sites, some with electricity A 100-site campground is available from the second Friday in April to the third Sunday in October. There are 85 tent or trailer sites, some are ADA accessible and some have electric hookups. The 15 walk-in tent sites offer additional privacy. Each campsite contains a picnic table and fire ring. Flush toilets, showers, drinking water, sanitary dump station, and boat launch are available. Pets are permitted on designated sites. For More Information Contact: Frances Slocum State Park 565 Mt. Olivet Road Kingston Township Wyoming, PA 18644 570-696-3525 email: francesslocumsp@pa.gov GPS DD: Lat. 41.34433 Long. -75.89186 An Equal Opportunity Employer ORGANIZED GROUP TENTING: Organized groups can rent this modern area, which can accommodate up to 40 people. The camping area has drinking water, fire rings, picnic tables, flush toilets, and showers. SWIMMING: The swimming pool is open daily from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day, unless posted otherwise. A seasonal snack bar has fast food and beverages. Information and Reservations Make online reservations at: www.visitPAparks.com or call toll-free 888-PA-PARKS (888-727-2757), 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday to Saturday, for state park information and reservations. www.visitPAparks.com Printed on recycled paper visitPAparks 2015 BOATING: electric motors only The 165-acre Frances Slocum Lake has two boat launches, two mooring areas, and courtesy docks. A boat concession rents rowboats, paddleboats, kayaks, and canoes. Motorboats must display a boat registration from any state. Non-powered boats must display one of the following: boat registration from any state; launch permit or mooring permit from Pennsylvania State Parks that are available at most state park offices; launch use permit from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. FISHING: The 165-acre Frances Slocum Lake is a warmwater fishery. Common species are crappie, bluegill, perch, catfish, muskellunge, pickerel, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, walleye, and stocked trout. Ice fishing is permitted. An ADA accessible fishing pier is between Picnic Pavilion Three and the main boat launch. PICNICKING: Some picnic areas are available year round. Picnic facilities include drinking water fountains, modern restrooms, trash and recycling receptacles, charcoal grills, and charcoal disposal pits. All areas are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Three ADA accessible picnic pavilions may be reserved up to 11 months in advance for a fee. Unreserved picnic pavilions are free on a first-come, firstserved basis. HUNTING AND FIREARMS: Of the 700 acres open to hunting, 350 acres are open to archery hunting and 350 acres in the west side of the park are open to hunting, trapping, and the training of dogs during established seasons. Common game species are deer, waterfowl, turkey, rabbit, and squirrel. Hunting woodchucks, also known as groundhogs, is prohibited. Dog training is only permitted from the day following Labor Day through March 31 in designated hunting areas. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Pennsylvania Game Commission rules and regulations apply. Contact the park office for ADA accessible hunting information. Use extreme caution with firearms at all times. Other visitors use the park during hunting seasons. Firearms and archery equipment used for hunting may be uncased and ready for use only in authorized hunting areas during hunting seasons. In areas not open to hunting or during non-hunting seasons, firearms and archery equipment shall be kept in the owner’s car, trailer, or leased campsite. Exceptions include: law enforcement officers and individuals with a valid Pennsylvania License to Carry Firearms are authorized to carry a firearm concealed on their person while they are within a state park. MOUNTAIN BIKING: 5 miles of trails The mountain biking trails are in the west side of the park and range in difficulty from easiest to more difficult. Bikers should respect other riders and hikers when using designated trails. All mountain biking trails are designated with red blazes. HIKING: 13.7 miles of trails Bluebird Trail: 0.5 mile This trail passes through fields and mixed forests in the northern portion of the park. Buck and Doe Trails: 0.8 mile / 0.3 mile While skirting stone walls and old fields and passing through stands of pines, these trails connect to Maconaquah Trail in several places. Campground Trail: 1 mile Campers can access this trail from the Stony Point parking lot or from behind the Organized Group Tenting Area. A short stretch of Campground Trail follows Larch Tree Trail. Deer Trail: 3.2 miles This trail starts at the environmental education center and passes through diverse habitats including lakeshore, thicket, hemlock stand, mixed forest, marsh, and hardwood forest. Upper Deer Trail: 0.6 mile This trail parallels Deer Trail through a mixed hardwood hillside. Frances Slocum Trail: 0.7 mile This loop trail begins and ends at the boat rental parking lot. On this trail, hikers can see beautiful forests and the rock shelter where Delaware Indians temporarily held their small captive named Frances Slocum. Hilltop Loop Trail: 0.7 mile The trailhead is on Green Road. Hilltop Trail is the starting point to access all trails on the western side of the park or it can be hiked as a short loop. Lakeshore Trail: 1.4 miles This trail begins at the Campground Road bridge or the Big Pines Picnic Area and follows the lake shore. The trail is popular with shore anglers. Larch Tree Trail: 2 miles This hilly trail loops around the northeast corner of the park and through a large stand of larch trees. Maconaquah Trail: 2.5 miles This trail begins and ends on Carverton Road and intersects other trails. Tell us about your hike at: www.explorepatrails.com Enjoy the Winter Ice thickness is not monitored. For your safety, make sure ice is at least four inches thick for an individual and seven inches thick for a small group. Always carry safety equipment. ICE SKATING: When conditions permit, ice skating is permitted on the natural ice of the lake. into temporary houses in the park until their homes were restored. After the last family moved out, the park reopened to the public in June, 1974. Frances Slocum The park is named for Frances Slocum, a young girl who was kidnapped by Delaware Indians. Frances was one of ten children of Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Slocum. This Quaker family lived on what is now North Street in Wilkes-Barre. On November 2, 1778, a small group of Delaware Indians entered the Slocum home and carried away Frances, who was five years old. The first night after her abduction was spent in a crude shelter under a rock ledge along Abraham Creek, believed to be within the state park boundary. She tried to escape during the first night but was quickly recaptured. Frances was taken along as the Delaware Indians moved westward and spent the rest of her life with them. Her brothers never gave up the search. Fifty-nine years after her abduction, they found her living on a reservation near Peru, Indiana. She had been married twice and had borne four children. Frances refused the pleas of her brothers to return to Pennsylvania. The brothers wrote to her and learned many of the details of her abduction and life with American Indians. Frances Slocum died in Indiana in 1847, at the age of 74. Mississinewa Lake in Indiana contains the Frances Slocum State Recreational Area and Lost Sister Trail. Along the Mississinewa River in Indiana, there is a monument that marks the final resting-place of Frances Slocum, also called Maconaquah, the “Young Bear.” Nearby Attractions SLEDDING AND TOBOGGANING: A good slope is west of the swimming pool. Two nearby state parks, Lackawanna and Ricketts Glen, offer camping and other attractions. Information on nearby attractions is available from the Luzerne County Convention and Visitors Bureau, 888-905-2872. www.tournepa.com CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING: When conditions permit, the campground road and day-use areas are popular for skiing. Access for People with Disabilities ICE FISHING: Ice fishing is permitted on the entire lake. Environmental Education and Interpretation Natural, cultural, historical, and recreational programs are conducted by a park environmental educator from March through November. From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, many programs are offered at the campground amphitheater. Curriculum-based environmental education programs and teacher workshops are available to area schools. The Patrick J. Solano Environmental Education Center in the day use area features information on American Indians and ecological topics. Park History Frances Slocum Lake was created to control flooding. Picnicking areas and the dam were constructed and opened in the spring of 1968. In 1972, Tropical Storm Agnes devastated large areas of the adjacent Wyoming Valley. Frances Slocum State Park was closed to the public and 280 families moved This symbol indicates facilities and activities that are Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible for people with disabilities. This publication text is available in alternative formats. If you need an accommodation to participate in park activities due to a disability, please contact the park you plan to visit.  In an Emergency Call 911 and contact a park employee. Directions to the nearest hospital are posted on bulletin boards and at the park office. 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