Luzerne Between Nature and History

If you’re looking for a hotel in Luzerne, you can plan your stay around nature experiences or cultural history. Destinations range from lakes, wetlands, and forests to a river gorge with waterfalls. Museums, historic interiors, and a restored theater offer other points of interest. When planning, it helps to distinguish between places with outdoor activities and those focused on the region’s history.

Lakes, Forests, and Waterfalls

Frances Slocum State Park covers 1,035 acres in Luzerne County. Boating and fishing are possible on Frances Slocum Lake, which is also home to numerous bird, fish, and other wildlife species. Hiking and mountain biking trails, as well as a large day-use area for picnicking and exploring the forests, offer additional options. Exhibits at the Patrick J. Solano Environmental Education Center cover Indigenous peoples and the park’s ecology. Water recreation, outdoor activities, and environmental education come together here.

Nescopeck State Park covers 3,550 acres of wetlands, diverse forests, and varied habitats. Its trails follow Nescopeck Creek, pass through forests, and run alongside wetlands. Environmental education programs and public outdoor activities are offered year-round. Unlike the lake and forest trails of Frances Slocum State Park, the creek, woods, and wetlands shape the landscape and routes here.

Ricketts Glen State Park has 22 named waterfalls, including 94-foot-high Ganoga Falls. The park also includes Glens Natural Area, designated a National Natural Landmark. Bear Creek Preserve has a different character: this 3,986-acre nature preserve is in Buck Township, Luzerne County. Its challenging hikes pass through forests and steep creek valleys. The three streams—Shades Creek, Bear Creek, and Stony Run—are classified as High-Quality Coldwater Fisheries.

River Gorge and Trails

Lehigh Gorge State Park is defined by a deep, steep-sided river gorge, dense vegetation, rock outcrops, and waterfalls. In Luzerne County, it follows the Lehigh River from Francis E. Walter Dam toward Jim Thorpe; the park also extends into Carbon County. It is open year-round from sunrise to sunset, though the operating seasons of individual facilities may vary.

The Lehigh Gorge Trail runs for more than 20 miles along the D&L Trail. The abandoned rail corridor offers opportunities for hiking, biking, sightseeing, and photography; motorized use of the trail is not permitted. The D&L Trail stretches a total of 165 miles from Bristol, Pennsylvania, outside Philadelphia, to Wilkes-Barre. The distances therefore refer to different routes: the Lehigh Gorge Trail and the entire D&L Trail. In Luzerne County, the D&L Trail follows the Susquehanna River and uses the former rail line of the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad. Check current conditions on the official trail website before setting out.

History and Culture

Eckley Miners’ Village preserves the social and architectural history of the anthracite coal region, its mining communities, and their residents. The Luzerne County Historical Society Museum is housed in a building constructed in 1893. Its permanent exhibit covers Indigenous peoples of the Wyoming Valley; rotating exhibits share stories about people, places, and events in Luzerne County.

Historic buildings and interiors offer their own points of interest. The Luzerne County Courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. At Swetland Homestead, historic room settings range from the 1790s summer kitchen to the 1860s Victorian parlor. The F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts was built in 1938 as an elegant movie theater on Public Square and is now a restored performing arts theater. It also serves as a cinema on a limited basis, including for art and foreign-language films.

Getting to Luzerne County

Interstates 80, 81, and 84, as well as the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, are key road connections for reaching Luzerne County. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport is in the northern part of the county. This overview can help you factor travel into your choice of where to stay.

Discover more destinations: Pittston, Avoca, Carbon, Fayette County, Lackawanna, Monroe.

For the main travel overview: Pennsylvania.