2.Duryea: Stevenson Street off Main Avenue will provide access to the Duryea Borough flood levee along the east bank of the River. On the west bank you will find a multitude of undeveloped foot paths and ATV trails around the Duryea swamps between Stevenson Street and Coxton Road to the south, or Connells Patch in Old Forge to the north.

3. The Old Forge Bore Hole, where 150-million gallons of water flows out of the underground mines and leaches orange colored iron-oxide sludge into the lower three miles of the Lackawanna River is visible under the Union Street bridge, off Main Street in the Connells Patch section of Old Forge.

5. Moosic: The River in Moosic is accessible along a flood control levee near Spring Brook off Main Street and Park Street. The levee runs for one-half mile from the confluence of Spring Brook upstream along the river, past the Little League field to the vicinity of Boise Street. Access to the east bank of the river north of Moosic is restricted due to the active Canadian Pacific/Delaware & Hudson main line freight railroad. This rail corridor is very active. LRCA does not recommend any access to this area.

6. Taylor: There are two River access points in Taylor; neither are developed for public recreation. The river corridor can be accessed off East Atherton Street and Cooper Street down the hill through the Taylor cemetery and the Reading and Northern Railroad along the west bank of the river. Please be advised that some of the area along this access point may be posted as private property.

7. Taylor: The second Taylor site is at the end of Depot Street; turn off Main Street and cross over the Canadian Pacific Railroad tracks at the rail yard with caution: This is a public crossing along Depot Street which is an unimproved dirt road. Depot Street goes immediately downhill one-eighth-mile to intersect with the former Central Railroad of New Jersey right-of-way and the Lackawanna River. At the end of the road there is an iron gate on your left, access to the CNJ and the river corridor north to Elm Street in Scranton is past this locked gate. The CNJ rail corridor is owned by Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority (LHVA) but is presently not developed in Taylor. It is however physically accessible for walking, river access and bicycling at your own risk. It is posted against trespassing and dumping.

8. Scranton: The CNJ Trail is open in Scranton for one-and-a-half miles along the west bank of the Lackawanna. There are three access points where parking is available. The first is located along North Seventh Avenue; turn off West Lackawanna by the Verrastro Beer Distributors, and go under the Steamtown Railroad bridge. The trailhead is one-thousand feet ahead on your left, across from the Sunoco Mini Mart and car wash. You can park here and walk one-and-a-half miles south on the developed section of trail. The CNJ is also accessible at the William Schmidt Recreation Complex also known as the South Side Complex located on Broadway Street. The CNJ access at Elm Street is next to Danny Garage at the Elm Street Bridge. The CNJ is accessible here south to Depot Street in Taylor or north to Schmidt Field, and Seventh and Lackawanna Avenues.

9.Scranton: The River is physically accessible across public and private properties at other locations in Scranton. Please use your own discretion and respect private property. The City owns the river's east bank most of the way along Nay Aug Avenue from Albright Avenue through Green Ridge Street to Market Street. The City also owns the west bank of the river at two locations along Riverside Drive in the Plot.

10. Scranton: The Lackawanna Valley Conservancy (LVC) and the LRCA own and manage one-half mile of river corridor and rail-trail along the former New York, Ontario and Western (O&W) Railway on the west bank of the river from Market Street (by Rudy's Junk Yard) north to Depot Street and Dean Street in the Plot. The trail and River are accessible from the parking lot of the LRCA offices in the Silkman House (the North Scranton Branch of the Scranton Public Library, 2006 North Main Avenue, one block north of Providence Square). Follow the path and wooden stairway down to the trailhead at Market Street. The trail is also accessible at street level at Depot Street or Dean Street in the Plot; look for the old stone bridge abutments.

11. Scranton: The Marvine Colliery and north of Parker Street: The west bank of the river carries the Lackawanna County Rail Authority's Scranton to Carbondale freight line upriver into Dickson City. This active rail corridor is posted against trespassing. The Marvine Colliery area and the Lackawanna County Recycling Center along Boulevard Avenue do not provide suitable public access to the River at this time. Planning is underway for a trail in this area in the near future. There is one river access point off Boulevard Avenue, between the Recycling Center and Interstate 81; PennDOT constructed a very large drainage channel along the Interstate from Dunmore down to the river. Park off Boulevard Avenue and walk over the earth berm along the maintenance road and drainage channel one-thousand feet to the river. This is not the most scenic spot on the river, as you are adjacent to the I-81 overpass and three-hundred feet downstream of the discharge outlet of the LRBSA Treatment Plant in Throop.

12. Throop: The LVC and LRCA own and manage two acres of river corridor north of the Boulevard Avenue Bridge. Park across the bridge in Dickson City; there is a small parking lot next to the Elm Street Park at the Dickson City end of the Boulevard Avenue Bridge.

13. Dickson City: The west bank of river is accessible along a trail on top of the Dickson City flood control levee for one-mile. This is a very pleasant trail and is accessible at numerous locations: at the downstream end from the small parking lot by the Boulevard Avenue Bridge; at the upstream end turn off Boulevard Avenue on Enterprise Street and off Enterprise into Polonia Park. The levee trail is behind the recreation field.

14. Dickson City: Valley Junction or Trestle Hole, located behind the Lackawanna County Services building next to the grade crossing at Eagle Lane and Enterprise Street. Follow the dirt driveway between the County Rail Authority tracks and the service building and park in the rear of the service building property. This site was once known as Valley Junction on the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company's gravity railroad. Presently, the site is known as Trestle Hole Fishing Access Point. The river corridor north of this point contains the abandoned coal mine sites of the Olyphant and Eddy Creek collieries. The land is owned by various coal companies. LRCA does not recommend public access in these areas. However, if you go to these areas, proceed at your own risk.

15. Blakely Corners (The Anchor): This major road intersection where Main Street crosses Lackawanna Avenue is also where Dickson City, Olyphant and Blakely boroughs intersect. A large anchor from the U.S. Navy Destroyer Johnston Blakely memorializes this naval hero of the War of 1812 for whom the Borough of Blakely is named. There is a good fishing and canoe launch access adjacent to the Lackawanna Avenue Bridge next to the Rite Aid Pharmacy parking lot and drive through lanes.

16. Olyphant: Most of the riverbank in downtown Olyphant is private property and residential backyards. Phillip Condella Park upstream on the north side of Olyphant has about one-mile of river frontage with a one-and-a-half mile loop trail along the river, with a link via the Heritage Valley Crossings footbridge to Robert Mellow Park in the Peckville section of Blakely. You can access Condella Park by turning off Lackawanna Avenue in Olyphant onto Susquehanna Avenue and go 12 blocks north to the park.

17. Peckville: Peckville is part of Blakely Borough; good access to the River is available at Robert Mellow Park, off Main Street and Keystone Avenue (PA Route 247) next to Valley View Football Stadium. Mellow Park has one-half mile of pedestrian trail along the river on a section of the former NYO&W Railway. You can access Condella Park (in Olyphant) at the downstream end of Mellow Park; take the Heritage Footbridge over the River and follow the trail to Condella Park.

18. Peckville: The O&W/Blakely to Archbald trail begins at the corner of PA 247, Depot Street and River Street across from Mid Valley Plumbing Supply. There is a small trailhead parking space at this location. The O&W Trail can be followed for three miles north through Peckville, past Deckers Bridge (Constitution Ave.) along Main Avenue and then over to the Gravity Slope mine outfall and beaver pond next to the PPL Blakely substation. The trail continues to Winton Street, crosses the river to River Street in the Winton Section of Jessup Borough and then runs north along the east bank of the Lackawanna to Laurel Street in Archbald.

19. Winton: The O&W Blakely to Archbald trail passes through the Winton neighborhood in Jessup. To reach the trail in Winton, turn off Main Avenue onto Winton Street (one-half mile north of Deckers Bridge), follow Winton Street for one-half mile until it intersects with the trail where Winton Street crosses the river. You can follow the trail south to Peckville or along River Street, Winton to Laurel Street in Archbald along the east side of the River.

20. Archbald: Laurel Street is the access point for the O&W Blakely to Archbald trail in Archbald. Turn off Main Avenue onto Monroe Street, cross the Lackawanna River and turn right at Laurel Street, go one block south to the David Maslar Park (a.k.a. the Laurel Street ball field and the location of the Archbald launch for the annual Lackawanna River Canoe-a-thon). The trail runs north along the riverbank to Monroe Street or south along Laurel Street to the trail head and downriver from there to Winton and Peckville, three miles to Mellow Park.

21. Archbald: The O&W Trail Archbald to Jermyn section is under development. Acquisition of property has not yet occurred (Spring 2003).  Portions of the privately owned O&W right-of-way are used by local residents for walking and to access their properties.  The O&W is accessible from Monroe Street, Wayne Street and Gilmartin Street in central Archbald.  It runs for five blocks through the residential and commercial neighborhood on the east bank of the river. It is not accessible between Wayne Street and Gilmartin Street; please use the sidewalks along Church Street past the Borough Building, St. Thomas Aquinas Church and the Rapoch Funeral Home to transit this one block reach. North of Gilmartin Street, the O&W is physically accessible for walking or bicycling for two miles north to Delaware Street, Jermyn.

22. Jermyn: The O&W is accessible off Delaware Street which can be reached by turning off Washington Avenue (Main Street) onto Ridge Street at St. James Episcopal Church. The O&W runs south for two miles to Archbald. Note: This reach of the O&W south is also the access road to the Archbald Treatment Plant of the Lackawanna River Basin Sewer Authority. The Authority locks the gate each day after 5:00 p.m. and on weekends. Do not park inside this gate! The Powder Mill Dam Preserve is a ten-acre wildlife and river corridor habitat preserve owned by the LRCA affiliate land trust, the Lackawanna Valley Conservancy. The Preserve is located along this reach of the O&W, one-thousand feet south of the LRBSA gate at Delaware Street.

23. Mayfield and Carbondale Townships: The O&W and the River corridor are not readily accessible over long reaches in Mayfield and Carbondale Townships. We recommend using the following streets, roads and highways with extreme caution to transit through these communities: From Rushbrook Street (PA Route 107) in Jermyn (site of the Windsor Inn) follow Washington Avenue north one-half mile to Main Street in Mayfield; at Poplar Street you have two alternatives: Old Plank Road and U.S. Business Route 6 which runs along the west bank of the river to Carbondale, or Lackawanna Avenue to Gordon Avenue and Pike Street to Carbondale along the east bank.

24. Mayfield to Carbondale via west bank route: From Poplar and Main streets in Mayfield, follow Old Plank Road for one mile to its junction with U.S. Business Route 6. Note that the O&W runs parallel to this route but it is not continuous. You may wish to explore some of the O&W between Poplar and Cemetery streets at your own risk. North of Cemetery Street an ATV path diverges from the shoulder of Plank Road and enters the campus of the Lackawanna Heritage Center building. This property is owned by the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority. There are pathways, native plantings and interpretive signage plaques along the river at the Lackawanna Heritage Center campus for one-fourth of a mile. The ATV path then follows the undeveloped upper campus and terminates at Meredith Street and Route 6. Follow Route 6 with caution, it is a busy road with no shoulders in some locations for the next mile toward Carbondale. There is a River access point at the School-Side branch of the Penn-Star Bank across Route 6 (Brooklyn Street) from Carbondale Area High School. Continue along Route 6 through downtown Carbondale to Pioneer Park at City Hall. Note: You can cross to the east bank alternate route at Poplar Street and Cemetery Street in Mayfield, Meredith Street in Childs (Carbondale Township) or Cottage Avenue and Pike Street in South Carbondale.

25. Mayfield to Carbondale, east bank route: From Main Street and Poplar Street turn right, cross the river and turn left on Penn Avenue, go for one block to Pine Street. Look left to access the flood control levee maintenance path or continue on Penn Avenue north to Chestnut Street, turn right on Chestnut Street and left on Lackawanna. Follow Lackawanna to Meredith Street and Gordon Avenue north to Pike Street in Carbondale. Follow Pike Street and Main Street north to Carbondale City Hall and Pioneer Square. Note: Several alternative trail routes are being investigated between Mayfield and Carbondale. Recommendations were developed in 2001 and can be found in the Lackawanna River Watershed Conservation Plan, Appendix A, developed by the LRCA.

26. Mayfield to Carbondale: The LRCA cannot recommend and does not recommend an alternate Mayfield to Carbondale route by following the Lackawanna County Railroad Authority right-of-way. Recently a gas utility has installed a gas pipeline along the railroad property. The rail corridor once carried four sets of tracks, only one track remains. Several bridges have been removed or are only decked with railroad ties and are very dangerous. The railroad security does patrol the corridor, as do local police in attempts to control trespass by ATV users. The surface of the rail corridor is variously loose to compacted rock railroad ballast, dirt, coal cinders and/or combinations of the above. The Rail Authority has metal pipe gates, boulders and other structures to control access along the gas line/rail maintenance road along this corridor which continues northward to the PA Route 171 bridge in Simpson, Fell Township.

27. Carbondale to Simpson, east bank route: From Main Street (Business Route 6) at Carbondale City Hall, proceed three blocks north to Zazzeras Ben Mar Restaurant. The Carbondale to Simpson section of the O&W Trail will be acquired and developed by 2002 to the rear of the Ben Mar parking lot. This property, The Ben Mar was once the site of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company's Gravity Railroad Shops. The gravity line ran over Moosic Mountain to the D&H Canal at Honesdale. In later years the NYO&W crossed Carbondale, the Lackawanna River and the D&H Shops on a one-half-mile long trestle similar to the elevated trains in New York or Chicago. The trestle abutments are visible as you cross a wooden decked structure over Racket Brook at the rear of the Ben Mar parking lot. Follow an old asphalt roadway for one-fourth mile north to a 1909 truss bridge (do not cross this bridge). Follow the dirt trail to your right uphill past the 1909 bridge , this links to the O&W corridor which parallels the route you have just taken from the Ben Mar. The O&W is on top of the concrete wall. You can climb up to the O&W by the bridge abutments on your right about three-hundred feet after you cross Racket Brook. The Maplewood Cemetery along the O&W has many historic grave sites. Follow the O&W for one-half mile to Belmont Street (PA 171) by Holt Lumber Yard. Follow Belmont Street three-fourths mile past the Gentex Plant to the O&W trail head at Homestead Street in Simpson, to the right at the PA 171 Bridge.

28. Carbondale to Simpson, west bank route: From City Hall cross 6th Street Bridge or go up Main, turn left on Salem Street and cross the river to Dundaff Street. Follow Dundaff Street past the Post Office to the Carbondale Yards Industrial Park. Follow the Business Park Road north and you will intersect a pedestrian bike path, which runs for one mile parallel to the road and the river. Stop and rest at the pavilion on the riverbank about halfway into the park. Continue on after the cul-de-sac for another eight-hundred feet across a dirt roadway to the Morse Street Bridge (over the River), cross over to PA 171, turn left, and go one-thousand feet to O&W trailhead at Simpson (look for O&W and D&H Rail Trail signs).  You can also continue past Morse Street for one-fourth mile, pass under PA 171 past the end of Lackawanna County Rail tracks (WC cabin) and onto an undeveloped portion of the forty-mile D&H rail trail to Forest City, Lanesboro, and Windsor, New York.

30. Out of the Lackawanna Watershed: the Northeast Pennsylvania Rail-Trail Council has maps and information on current conditions along the forty-mile D&H trail which parallels PA 171 along the West Branch of the Lackawanna River through Herrick and Ararat Townships to Lanesboro and the Starucca Viaduct, before following the Upper North Branch of the Susquehanna towards Windsor, New York and points beyond. The Council operates the O&W Trail from Simpson to Stillwater Cliffs. North of Stillwater the O&W has been used for the realignment of PA 171 after the construction of Stillwater Dam in 1960. Mostly the O&W is continuous with one or two exceptions between Stillwater, Union Dale upstream along the East Branch of the Lackawanna past Mount Ararat. The O&W follows the east branch past Orson and Lake Lorraine where it leaves the Lackawanna for the Delaware watershed. The O&W continues through Poyntelle, Starlight and Hancock, New York. Again, please contact the Rail Trail Council for a map and an update on local conditions.

SAFETY NOTICE

This information is provisional. The LRCA does not assume responsibility for your use of this information. PLEASE RESPECT POSTED PRIVATE PROPERTY. DO NOT USE ATV or motorized vehicles on the CNJ or O&W portions of the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail. Lastly, be observant of traffic when bicycling or walking on roads and streets. Go out and explore the Lackawanna River and trail corridors! BE SAFE. HAVE FUN!