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A lovely trail through a lush green ravine, providing visitors with access to a rich fossil bed.


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Map Key

1.0

Miles

1.6

KM

Point to Point

779' 237 m

High

575' 175 m

Low

220' 67 m

Up

180' 55 m

Down

8%

Avg Grade (4°)

27%

Max Grade (15°)

Dogs No Dogs

Features Fall Colors

Family Friendly Children will love exploring the rich fossil beds along this trail.

It is strictly forbidden to take fossils or any other cultural/natural objects from the Fossil Trail. Please leave what you find for future visitors to enjoy.

Description

Journey along the Fossil Trail for a short but exciting trip through a densely-wooded ravine to a cliffside rich in fossils!

Starting at the Pocono Environmental Education Center Parking Area, follow signage for the Fossil Trail. After reaching the trailhead, travel through dense hardwood forests on flat ground for a few hundred yards before descending sharply through a damp, shady ravine.

Working your way down the trail, keep an eye out for small, water-filled depressions in the ground. These depressions, housing seasonal wetlands, are an integral part of the local ecosystem as they provide refuge and breeding space for the numerous species of amphibians that call the Delaware Water Gap home. Without this secluded breeding space, these amphibians would be forced to lay their eggs in the predator-rich lakes and ponds of the surrounding area.

Upon reaching the ravine, descend steeply through verdant green forests before climbing up the other side to the natural climax of the trail: the fossil beds. Housing a variety of fossilized prehistoric creatures, these beds hold millions of years of natural history, all waiting to be taken in by visitors to the Fossil Trail.

After viewing the fossils to your heart's content, continue climbing out of the ravine to a more rolling section of trail, meeting its end at a T junction with the Tumbling Waters Trail.

Flora & Fauna

Depending on the season, amphibians may be present in the vernal pools surrounding parts of the trail.

Contacts

Shared By:

Hunter R

Trail Ratings

  4.0 from 1 vote

#16114

Overall
  4.0 from 1 vote
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Trail Rankings

#338

in New Jersey

#16,114

Overall
2 Views Last Month
608 Since Feb 10, 2016
Intermediate Intermediate

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Weather


Current Trail Conditions

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Mar 5, 2023
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1mi — 8h 34m
Mar 5, 2023
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Nov 22, 2020
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Oct 13, 2018
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