An Afternoon at Jacobsburg

On Monday I spent the afternoon with my daughter at her preschool's field trip to Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center, which is a PA State Park.

Comprised of 1168 acres and encompassing nearly all of the Jacobsburg National Historic District where the Henry Rifle factors was made, Jacobsburg is a nearby treasure for residents.

Our trip was to learn about nature and compare the rain forest that they were studying with a deciduous forest. To accomplish this the school set up stations along a short trail beginning at the amphitheater and looping around to the parking lot that included stuffed animals of those that would be found in both places and discussed them with the children.


After that a snack was had at the picnic area and a walk into Henry's Woods led to more learning and exploring by the children.

We finished by walking creekside and looking for fish then headed home. The weather was beautiful and everyone seemed to have a great time.

My daughter told me this morning that the stuffed animals were her favorite, but I seem to recall that attempting to skip stones was pretty enjoyable for them all as well.

If you are unfamiliar with the park, it is located just north of Nazareth and has many trails for walking, biking, horse riding, and cross country skiing. There is also fishing, trapping, and hunting (with restrictions).

Self-guided trails and staff are also available. When programs take place I do try to announce them on NOC.

The one down-side is that after a few years the state has failed to replace the bridge that was destroyed in the flood. This means that people must walk along Belfast Road to access the picnic and bathroom facilities as well as the Henry Woods Trail. It would be nice to see an effort made by our local State Representatives and Senators to restore this bridge.