After a busy and cold weekend, we had to get out of the house. Rich and I made a quick decision to investigate the relatively new Archbald park adjoining Archbald Pothole State Park. We accessed the park from Eynon-Jermyn Road and parked in the first lot near the tennis courts and soccer fields.

We were impressed from the beginning at how much it has changed since we last visited! We found several areas with athletic fields, a small wooded area with winding paths that would be excellent for walking or cycling (I can even forgive the fact that they’re paved), and of course the large, open area of reclaimed mining land that’s open to hiking, biking, and fishing in several small ponds.

We wandered the trails in the open area, making our way toward a mansion that sits at the eastern border of the park, then cutting back toward our starting place. The trails were wet, but we could skirt most of the puddles easily. The air turned so warm we were wishing we had brought the bikes instead. Next time!

After our walk, we took a slow drive to check out the rest of the park. We still have several trails to explore, and we’re still wondering just how much of the land belongs to the state park and how much is actually part of the “Archbald Regional Park.”