Dick and Nancy Eales Nature Preserve

The Dick and Nancy Eales Nature Preserve is where you can tackle scenic views and rugged trails on the Grand Tour Loop at Moosic Mountain. This 10.8-mile hike is packed with diverse terrain and breathtaking vistas.

Eales Preserve not only provides some of the best views in Lackawanna County but it also provides some of the best biking trails. It is a great area to get out and enjoy nature from hiking to walking the dog.

Contrary to its name, the Moosic Mountain “barrens” comprise a healthy mosaic of stunted pine and oak forest dominated by huckleberry, blueberry, rhodora and other low-lying shrubs that attract a broad array of birds, butterflies and moths—including the globally rare sallow moth and barrens buckmoth.

In 2001, The Nature Conservancy purchased 1,200 acres in the heart of Moosic Mountain that were slated for development, protecting sensitive mountaintop habitat and reducing impacts to water quality.

In 2009, TNC named the preserve after Dick and Nancy Eales, whose generosity has enabled them to continue to expand the preserve, which today encompasses about 2,250 acres, and to conduct the robust prescribed burning necessary to maintain the fire-dependent natural community.

Easily accessible from Harrisburg, Philadelphia and New York City, Moosic Mountain is packed with outdoor opportunities.