Are you daring enough to hike the Shades of Death Trail? This is just one of the hiking trails available to visitors at Hickory Run State Park. Not to worry though, the trail is not nearly as ominous as its name. Hickory Run was established as a state park in 1945 following a long and storied history of devastation and restoration. The first settlements in the area occurred following the American Revolution, when landowners began building mills on the local creeks. By the mid-1800s, the area was clearcut, then experienced several incidents of fire and flooding. In 1935 the area was purchased by the National Park Service (NPS) for use as a recreation area, and many of the roads, campgrounds and trails were developed. Ten years later, the NPS transferred the land to the state of Pennsylvania for use as a state park.

Just 30 miles south of Scranton, Hickory Run State Park is a 16,000-acre natural area in the foothills of the Pocono Mountains. The area features numerous trout streams, boulder fields, wetlands and restored forests. The area is also home to a variety of wildlife, from birds to black bears. The park’s large campground features more than 300 tent, trailer and RV sites, as well as a few walk-in sites and camping cottages. Some campsites are ADA accessible. Park facilities include restrooms with showers, drinking water, two playgrounds, amphitheater, fishing pier, dog-walking area, and a camp store. There’s also recycling and dump stations. The Shades of Death and Beach trails are accessible right from the campground. Campsite rates range from $15–$40/night; cabins and cottages range from $38–$105/night.

There is no shortage of outdoor play to be enjoyed on your visit to Hickory Run. On warm days, cool off with a dip in Sand Spring Lake, or go wading below Hawk Falls; cast a line for brook and brown trout in Hickory Run or Mud Run; or test your precision at the park’s disc golf course. There are also several geocaches hidden in the park if you’re up for a little treasure hunting. If you’re packing hiking boots, you have 44 miles of trails to wander. Choose from short, family-friendly nature and wildlife-watching trails, to the more strenuous Boulder Field Trail, which traverses a 16.5-acre field of sandstone boulders that predate several of North America’s ice ages. In winter, many of the park’s trails are open for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling.

Hickory Run State Park Campground

Campground Review:   

  

This was our first visit to [Hickory Run State Park](http://Hickory Run State Park ) &amp; we loved it.  Hickory Run is in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. We had a full hook-up site in the back loop, pet friendly part of the campground.   The sites in this loop were spacious and more in an open area, but we were along a wooded area which gave us some shade.   It was a very quiet weekend for us as our loop was not crowded.   The bath houses in this loop are non-flush/pit toilets.   However, the other camping loops had shower houses and flush toilet restrooms.  The other camping loops were located within the wooded areas and the sites appears closer together.  There are pet friendly sites in the other loops as well.  Even though it was a very hot weekend and our site was in an open area, we had a nice breeze and shade from the wooded area behind our site.  The late afternoon sun did hit the front of our trailer, but we used this time for a nap or a went for a drive to explore the area.  

  

There is a lot to do in the state park.   Many hiking trails (44 miles of trails).  They are rated from easy to difficult.  We found the 2 trails we hiked - Hawk Falls and Shades of Death trails - where were rated "more difficult" were not bad to hike at all.  We hiked both with your 2 large dogs.   Both of these trails had a creek and waterfalls.

  

There was a large open field in the loop we camped in with a swing set on it.  This was nice for families with children.   There is a camp store which was loaded with anything you may need from grocery items, equipment, pans, and toys.   One thing of note - if you require firewood, look for local sellers in the area rather than the camp store.   It was $4.50 for a very small bundle of what we would use for kindling.  Park Staff were very friendly. 

  

We took a drive on 2 afternoons on a stone road through the woods to see the Boulder Field.  It was a beautiful drive.  We were on the lookout for bear, but only saw 3 deer.  There is also a lake for swimming.   Be aware that this area has a high bear population and all campers are required to keep food items in their vehicles or trailers when not at the site.  

  

We would definitely recommend Hickory Run for all types of campers - RV, tent, pop-up campers.   Lots to do for families. Or if you are like us and want to just kick back and relax, you can't go wrong. 

  

Product Review:  As a Ranger for the Dyrt, we get products to test from time to time - today we tested [Red Ledge Free Rein Jacket](http://Red Ledge Free Rein Jacket)   We chose to review this jacket because our first two camping trips this season, it poured!!  My husband got soaked while closing down outside and getting the trailer hooked up to head home.   But... as Murphy's Law goes, we haven't had rain while camping since receiving the jacket.   My husband was a good sport and "modeled" this jacket for me during a heat wave of over 90°.   My husband normally wears a 2XL,  which is what we ordered.  It appears to be true to size as the jacket fits him well, even in the length of the sleeves.  

  

The day after we got home... we got our rain! While my husband was not available, I decided to put the jacket on and go outside and test the jacket during a heavy down pour and stormy afternoon.   

  

PROs:  The jacket is well made, but not heavy or bulky.  It has adjustable velcro cuffs on the sleeves so you can tighten the cuffs if you need.   It has 2 front zippered pockets with a mess lining.  It also has 2 zippered vents at the sides of the jacket.  The hood has a cord on either side for adjustments. 

  

Even though this jacket was 2 or 3 sizes too big for me, I was able to adjust the cuffs on the sleeves as well as the hood to give me a better fit.    I stayed dry!   The rain literally beaded up on the jacket, therefore the jacket did not get soaked through.    Once I came inside, I could shake out the jacket and the water drops would just fall off the jacket.   It dried quickly afterwards, but honestly because the rain never really saturated the jacket, "dried" may not be the correct word.     Overall I was impressed with the quality of the jacket and how the water just rolled off it.     I would recommend Red Ledge to anyone looking for rain gear that is lightweight, durable and, most of all, Works!!

  

CONs:   At this point, I really can't say I could find anything wrong with this jacket.

Ranger Review - Red Ledge Free Rein Jacket At Hickory Run State Park

After many, varied experiences camping at state parks, Hickory Run remains high on the list. My first camping experience as a single mom with a five year old was ten years ago at this park.  We have been back as a family, brought friends, and boy scouts.  The Boulder Field is a unique must to trek with many trails traipsing in and around the many acres.  There is a beach for swimming, catching frogs and just enjoying the updated amenities.  In September I am excited to run the ultra sponsored at this park with gnarled roots, rocky outcroppings and pine needled trials.

Boulders, Beach and Bears

The Boulder Fields are one of the coolest places I've ever visited, partially because they were so unexpected. Don't twist an ankle, but you can play hide and seek to an extent as there are small depressions in the fields. Also lots of spiders :) The park has tons of hiking trails, some great views, loads of waterfalls, some swimming. All around a wonderful place to visit for the day or to camp for a few. Great any time of year (frozen waterfalls, fall leaves, wildflowers). Campground is lovely, nice and simple, not too crowded despite being big. Some sites are close to the water, most are not. There are some cabins too, including accessible ones. Follow the bear rules! 


Quintessential Pennsylvania beauty 

Great place to picnic and spend some time on the sandy beach.  We always have a blast going through the campgrounds on walks to see all the rigs and tents and Hickory Run has many different accommodations available from cabins to areas with only tents.  They also have fun environmental programs that they run during the normal season that are very informative.

PA Beauty and many camping options

The campground is a little bit crowded, and the bathrooms could be a bit nicer, but there's plenty to do in the park. Everyone says to go to the Boulder Field, and you should, because it's an interesting geological feature, it's beautiful, and it's just plain fun. But there's more to do in the park. The highlight of our weekend was Hawk Falls. It's a short hike, and the falls are beautiful. Even in late August, the water was COLD. You aren't allowed to swim there, but you're likely to see people jumping off the falls into the deep pools below - I cringed every time someone jumped. The swimming beach was much more inviting for taking a dip, and the restrooms/concession stand is modern.

Another Great PA State Park

Stayed two nights at two different sites. Heavily recommend getting campsites in the mid-60s. They come with a little more room and seclusion. Come with fire pit, parking spot, picnic table, flush toilet, running water. Competitive pricing. 

Secluded/small site tenting

Seems like we are always vacationing on the cusp of winter and it can be super challenging to find campgrounds that are open. We stayed here in November (during hunting season) and there were several groups of hunters camping in quaint little RVs.

The sites are open with little tree coverage and ours backed up to the road leading into the campground (which unfortunately was a high traffic road in the daylight hours). While most of the campground and its amenities were closed for the season, the restrooms remained open and well kept.

The sites have nice gravel drives with large picnic tables and fire pits. I can imagine that during the busy time the sites might seem a bit close to one another but for when we were there it was perfect.

So if you're looking for a place to rest your head in the less popular months, this spot is nice and most importantly OPEN!

Open in the winter!

I would say this campground is very typical of all the PA State Park campgrounds we've stayed in. Nothing particularly special, but nice enough spots and bathhouse. More importantly is everything in the park around the campground! Make sure you check out the boulder field, and do some hiking.

Typical State Park Campground

this area is so beautiful. a ton to explore and a huge frisbee golf course. the inner loops have nice bathrooms. we were in the outer loop far from the rest of the campground and they only had ports potties and hand sanitizer. I wish we had been on the inner loop for the bathrooms, but we had a huge tent site that fit 4 tents on it. Hike to the waterfall, it is beautiful. 

Huge Campground

Very nice, peaceful campground. Boulder field is very cool!

loved it!

Where to start?! This is my favorite campground, public or private. The sites are large and many are somewhat private in terms of visual barriers. Some bathrooms are latrines, but they also have beautiful, fully updated showers and restrooms available. The camp store had good hours and is stocked to high heaven; you could come here with just the clothes on your back and buy everything you need for a very comfortable stay. To top it all off, the park itself is stunning. This is probably the largest, most well-kept public campground I have ever been to, and I'm dying to return.

We also saw a dung beetle, which was awesome.

Simply Amazing

There are different levels of campsites. We love the "modern tent only", where we had the peaceful woods for company.

Friendly and clean!

We camped here twice and enjoyed the peacefulness and cleanliness of the campground. A definite added bonus was the Boulder field which is a short drive, or long hike if you prefer, from the campground. Our whole family also enjoyed riding our bikes around the campground.

Beautiful area, a very nice get away

Bathrooms are undersized and not cleaned regularly, but otherwise, gorgeous trees campground with hiking and bike trial nearby. Electric hookup only in some sites. Crowded on summer weekends but not unbearable. Hike to the falls, see the boulder filed and bring bikes! Lehigh gorge rails to trails is a short drive.

Beautiful 

nice and clean and lots of trails. we were warned to be cautious about leaving food out as there have been some bear sightings. Not much of a playground. All in all a pretty Park.

Nice and clean, lots of trails

Stayed two nights in this park on our way from NC to Maine. We were happy to find a nice wooded site and had a quiet, refreshing stay. An easy rewarding walk is the "Shades of Death" trail - gotta love the name. Also worth an exploratory trip is their mammoth boulder field and learning about the last Ice Age.

Comfortable State Park with a Few Unusual Features

I reserved site 364 which is a non electric site. Perfect for my solo camping trip. It has a lantern post, picnic table and fire pit with grate. I found the trees to either be too close together to hang a hammock or the trunks too wide for my hammock rope. You can also see the RV loop from this site as well which circled a large open field.

PROS - Close to camp store (biking distance), pit toilets and main office. This site also backs up to no other sites so behind you is just trees, deer and squirrel

CONS - These sites are literally on top of each other (at least this loop was). I was luck I was literally the only one camping in this loop. This site is also not close to hiking trails so you will need to drive out to go hiking. There is also heavy vehicle traffic at this location and people stopping at the dumpster across the road constantly.

Would I return? Probably on a different loop. But for a first solo camping trip it was nice to see other campers in the distance.

DEPENDS ON WHAT LOOP YOU CAMP IN..

Love this state park. The dog area is very nice.

Camp at Hickory Run all the time. 

Great hiking, biking, and kayaking in the area. 
Great trails in the park. Have to get to the bolder field. 

Nice large sites

Clean, great camp store, dog friendly loop, great hikes accessible from campground!!

Been there 3 times already

The reinforced site pad made it nearly impossible to properly drive tent stakes in. 

Fire ring was the flip up/down type. 

Site seemed to be very well maintained and we saw maintenance workers a few times, never visited by camp hosts or rangers. 

Sites were closer together than I’m used to, making for a less than restful weekend seeing as we were across from a family reunion.  But they sure had fun!

Bathrooms were clean, showers had attached changing areas. 

Nice hiking, shades of death trail has a fantastic man made dam waterfall. 

Not too bad  

This campground felt huge and was totally packed for Memorial Day weekend. The bathrooms were fine but definitely got crowded and dirty (it rained off and on so lots of mud tracking). The sites are nice but pretty close together. Overall it was a good experience considering that it was a busy holiday weekend with some rainy weather. 

There are lots of things to do when staying here. We took an awesome hike down to the waterfall, fished at the lake, played on the playground, swam at the beach, and visited the boulder field. 

The camp store is just incredible! You could get lost for hours in there! 

Lots to do here

Great location lots of hiking trails right in the park and many more close by 

Great spot 

Our first visit to Hickory Run State Park was in 10/19. I was a little nervous when I booked as I booked the last site available in the pet loop. It was the first site in the center as you enter the loop. However, it worked out great. The sites are a little close together but the way they are angled you have just enough privacy. We camped in our small travel trailer in site #219. A small electric only site. The bathrooms were clean. Shower stalls had small changing area to keep your belongings dry. The dump station was very convenient with several stations. The hiking trails were beautiful. I especially loved the Shades of Death Trail. The fall is an amazing time to visit to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Beautiful Fall Getaway!

Lots of hiking trails, a very cool boulder field, and plenty of solitude. Black bears wander around though, so make sure you put away food and scented things. One came right through our campsite. Also has an excellent camp store that is stocked with literally anything you’d ever need.

Would recommend 

Our first visit to a PA state park and we couldn't have picked a nicer park to begin with. Stayed in the Pet Loop in our 19ft trailer. Site was nice and long and fairly level. Lots to do at the park - checked out Boulder field, hiked the shades of death trail, and took our two pups on several walks that they loved. Nice quiet campsite, checked out several other nice sites for future visits. 

A nice escape! 

I love this park, and have seen it really evolve over the past 20 years. There is something here for everyone whether you like to hike, fish, mountain bike or go white water rafting.
The newly built park office and entrance rivals some national parks. Staff is helpful and professional and the campsites are always very well maintained. Hiking trails are clear with plenty of parking at the trailheads. Many of the trails lead to beautiful waterfalls and some even hold stocked trout. 
The town of Jim Thorpe is near by and has businesses that cater to outdoor adventures. Outlet shopping is also a short drive away for anyone look for something more on the mild side. 

Been camping here for 20 years 

I stayed in Hickory Run in late November, I love the sheer elements of nature found in this park. It is so calm and beautifuls with trails scattered throughout the entire park. I will definitely come here again to experience the poconos in different conditions. It was very cold when I camped here, but not miserable! There are nice bathhouses, mental hangers for trash and food, and roads are very well maintained. I love Hickory Run!

Cozy Mountain Vibes!

The boulder field was the highlight of our camping trip. The campground has great playgrounds, several well-marked trails, and functional (if dirty and rustic) restrooms and showers. The visitors center boasts the most modern updates and a truly lovely interactive museum displaying the history and current wildlife of the park. Cell service is respectable in most parts of the campground. Just don’t expect the rangers to show up if you need them.

Nice place to visit, at least once

This campground is awesome. There is a lot to do in and around this park - such as hiking and swimming. The only con is that there are a ton of sites so it can get quite loud if all sites are booked. A pro? The campground store has anything you may need that you forgot to pack.

Our non-electric site was shaded and spacious! 

Relaxing with a lot to do!

We loved camping here. There is so much exploring to do. So much so, we made plans to come back really soon to do some more! We spent time at the awesome visitors center, the Shades of Death trail, the Boulder Field, the swimming beach, and spent lots of time hiking and taking in the beauty of this area. We enjoyed ourselves so much. Our campsite was nice, we rearranged the picnic table a little and had plenty of room for ten around our campfire. Plenty of trees for hanging hammocks. Our site was a little close to others, but we booked late and needed to be in the pet loop as we were camping with friends with dogs. They were in our neighboring site, so privacy didn’t feel like so much of an issue. The only downside is the  bath houses. While clean and maintained, there is only one bath house for two big loops. And that bath house only has three showers and three toilets for each gender. Not a big deal midday, but certainly an issue first thing in the morning! We ended up using our pop up camper cassette way more than we normally like to. But all in all it was a wonderful weekend and we can’t wait to come back for a longer stay!

Amazing Place to Camp

This campground is great! We had an amazing time despite the rain. The campgrounds are central to everything in the state park and allow access to lots of great trails. (Sand Springs was our favorite) There we plenty of trees around to hang tarps and clotheslines. The facilities exceeded expectations and were very clean. The camp store was a blessing and had all the things we needed. We would go back in a heartbeat!

Central and well organized

although I haven't camped here in 20 years, I hope the pictures I'm adding are helpful

Used to camp here a lot

I had such a good time here. Rangers took care of some flim flam as some people got really loud.. Shades of death Trail was awesome and it was just beautiful here. Bathrooms were very clean. 

Wonderful!

Back to Nature, Baby!   We’ve been to so many campgrounds of all different types that we’ve come to expect that State Parks almost fall into the same category as RV Resorts. 

  

With their amenities, immaculately groomed landscaping and higher prices, we’ve almost come to think of them less like parks and more like golf courses. However, Hickory Run is taking a different approach and letting the woods and campground be just that.  Lots of space between sites and a ton of privacy.  Completely natural setting, yet bathrooms were updated, immaculate, and spacious...and the showers were hot.

  

We only spent a night here on our way to Hershey PA, but the list of hiking options was impressive, check out the Shades of Death Trail?  Don’t know what that’s about, but sounds intriguing!  We'll be back the next time we pass through...

The Way State Parks Should Be!

Vary easy to access’
Clean rest rooms’
And quite’
Great hiking trails a lot to see’

Awesome 

Let me preface everything by saying, it rained for most of our trip, so we really did not get to do a lot of the hikes we wanted to.

  

We had high hopes after reading other reviews.  I've been to Hickory Run State Park a number of times, about 20 years ago, never to camp, just for day trips, as my family had a home 

  

Once we got to our site, it was super dirty.  There was trash in the fire pit, beer bottle caps in the dirt, and other random pieces of trash all around the site that our Catahoula and 2 year old promptly brought to us.  I guess we taught them well to "leave your site better than you found it."  The water pressure was absolutely terrible, it took us all of Thursday and another 2 hours on Friday morning to fill our 40 gallon tank.  On the positive side, on Friday we had the entire 300 loop to ourselves, but by Friday night, every spot was filled.

  

The park itself is sprawling, and you really do need to drive to the different trail heads.  Be aware, the roads are all dirt and gravel, and they're not well maintained.  You will be dodging potholes on the roads to the trailheads.  We made it out in the rain to go see Hickory Run Lake and the Boulder Field.  Our daughter was thrilled to watch the water pouring over the dam.  With all the rain we got, it really was a spectacular sight.  Her favorite parts of the trip were going to visit the "big rocks" and see the "waterfall."

Just Okay - But it was probably the campers before us

Signs for check in were not well marked but the rangers didn't seem to mind that we went straight to our site without checking in. Campsites and the roads through the campground are a little tight. Bathhouse was decently clean. The best part of the campground was definitely the visitor center. Lots of educational displays for kids and everything seemed new. 

The state park is gorgeous. We hiked the shades of death trail which was great. Close to Lehigh gorge and Jim Thorpe too. 

Beautiful state park. Decent campground

Hickory Run State Park, this was our second effort.     Last year it was a complete, cold, rainy washout.    We didn't have a chance to do much.   This year, however we got to explore and really enjoyed ourselves.     We went on a couple of long hikes, here and also in the neighboring Lehigh Gorge State Park.     There they have a path that follows the mountain river and it offers a relaxing hike with wonderful views.      The hiking within the park has a good mix of trails, some areas, pretty difficult, starting with "The Shades of Death Trail".     The mixture of forests, fields, rocky, rooty terrain, and the different altitudes,  makes for some great trails to see things, but will also really wear you out.      The Boulder Field is a must see.     This is something that just makes you think, it is beautifully strange.     It looks like they also have a nice swimming lake and in our area that had large well kept level fields to do outdoor games and a mini-playground.      This park really should be 5 stars, by I just can't do it.    After stopping in to one of the bathrooms in the campground area, it was plain disgusting, I wouldn't even go there, waited until we got back to our camper.     Felt really bad for the tent folks if that is how all of the facilities are.    The Visitor Center was nice, cell phone reception is not good, at least with Verizon.       Too bad about the bathrooms, the rest of the park is awesome.

Beautiful Massive State Park with lots of options on what to do

Hickory Run was fantastic! The leaves are beautiful, and we had a fun hike up to the boulder field. I wish there were more dog friendly sites! There are a few, but no walk in sites, unfortunately. 

Wonderful Fall Weekend

Hooting owls and fall foliage. This was a very peaceful night in the woods. The office staff was helpful with info about the camp and surrounding area. The bathroom and showers were clean and adequate. The sites were not too close together. Overall, we’d come back. 

Quiet night in the woods

The bathroom facilities were clean, the hiking in the area was gorgeous and pet friendly and I’m looking forward to going back

Great hiking

We went on a last-minute trip from Philly in what I think was opening weekend (April). We wanted to hike with toddlers, so that took up most of our Saturday. Main Ranger Station was really nice. We hope to come back and see more of the campground itself and try additional hikes. We took the short drive to Hawk Falls Trail and also completed the Orchard Trail Loop. Bathrooms with showers were just what we needed and easy to walk to, shared between our pet-friendly loop and another loop. Good sinks for cleaning dishes.

  

Stayed at 199 on the pet-friendly 165-228 loop. Lots of people walking dogs. Very varied length of campsites and privacy. Many around the inside of loops, especially right at the bathrooms would have been pretty tight, or possibly good if you were reserving a couple in a row. Would have been nice to have a big tree between ours and site 195, but there was some distance.

  

Check out was 3pm, which is awesome!

Great location, good tree cover

❤️😊We would like to thank Hickory for letting us stay their peace  fully it was our first camping trip in a 🚎RV travel trailer our first RV purchase you made our stay amazing I loved the environment our  favorite spot is the beach trail 🏞️💦right their you can let yourself go and meditate with mother nature 🌍 so amazing hickory has alot to offer you just have to seek it . 🌞 Our favorite spot guess where 😜stay tuned for more 
2Boriquens🇵🇷🇺🇲 