Hickory Run State Park is located about an hour from Allentown Pennsylvania in the Western Poconos. It is also within a 2-3 hour drive from Philadelphia or New York City.

Hickory Run State Park has over 400 campsites- half of which have at least electrical hook-up and a handful more have full hook-ups. 

Site Review:

The sites are fairly close together for a State Park. We visited in May before the American long weekend. It was pretty busy, though not at full summer capacity, so privacy was less of an issue. When all the sites are full though,  I think having people so close might be irksome.

The campground areas are condensed at Hickory Run State Park but they are not close to the other amenities. You would probably drive to the beach area. It is walkable and there is a trail that you can take, but it is pretty long.

The sites all have asphalt pads- though many have some pretty severe slopes. Levelling is almost certainly required.

Most of the campground areas are in a forested area, which is nice but many of the trees are located right beside the asphalt pads. You may not be able to open slides or awnings on some sites because of this.

A Couple Rules:

• It should be noted that if you are camping with pets you need to reserve a ‘pet-friendly’ site. Pets are only allowed at certain sites in ANY Pennsylvania State Park. I do not know what would happen if you were to show up with Fido at a non-pet site. I do know that the first thing we were asked when we showed up and registered was whether or not we were travelling with any pets. It makes me think that they are fairly serious about enforcing the rule.
• Another rule that applies to ALL Pennsylvania State Parks is a complete alcohol ban. ALCOHOL IS PROHIBITED AT ALL TIMES. They asked us at registration whether we had alcohol with us. We replied “no”- they accepted that answer. The campground is routinely patrolled. I do not know the penalty if caught consuming alcohol.

The camp roads are narrow but navigable for even the large rigs. We, however, did unhitch our tow vehicle at the registration station. I would recommend anyone travelling with a tow vehicle to consider doing the same.

There is a camp store that is stocked with a large assortment of items and gifts.

Activities:

Hiking:

There are 44 miles of trails at Hickory Run State Park. They range in length and degree of difficulty.

There are 24 named trails throughout the park. Many of the trails were old roads that flourished in the area between 1830 and 1900. Some trails are quite difficult. The Shades of Death trail is the most picturesque trail within Hickory Run but it is also considered one of the most challenging.

Swimming:

There is swimming at Sand Spring Lake. It is not located in the campground area and you would likely have to drive to it. There is a picnic area, washrooms and snack bar facilities. The beach area is open from 8 am until sunset.

Fishing:

Anglers find excellent sport fishing in many of the streams and lakes within the park. The streams are stocked with Brook and Brown trout. A Pennsylvania Fishing Licence is required for persons 16 years and older and can be purchased online using a credit card. 

The lower 2.9 miles of Hickory Run from Saylorsville Dam to the Lehigh River is catch and release fishing only.

The Boulder Field:

The main attraction at Hickory Run is the boulder field,  It is a National Natural Landmark. 

The Boulder Field is just that- a field of boulders. It is a small piece of landscape leftover from the last ice advance- about 15000 years ago. It is a jumbled assortment of loosely packed boulders that range in size from several inches to 25 feet in length. The field itself is about 400 ft wide and about 1800 feet long. It is about 10 feet deep and surprisingly flat.

You can access the Boulder Field via a trail that is 3 miles long (each way!) or you can drive your vehicle and park at the end of a dirt road (Boulder Field Road) and access it directly from the parking lot.

About 15,000 years ago landscape like the Boulder Field was common throughout Pennsylvania and the northern part of North America. Over the years the climate has warmed and plants, soil, and weathering have covered or removed boulder fields. Only in unique places do they remain. Hickory Run State Park is one such place.

Things to Know:

1. Pets are only permitted on certain sites within Pennsylvania State Parks. Reservations are strongly recommended especially if travelling with pets.

2. Alcohol is completely banned and prohibited at all Pennsylvania State Parks.

3. Hickory Run State Park has over 400 sites

4. A Pennsylvania Fishing Licence is required to fish in Hickory Run State Park’s streams and lakes. Anyone over 16 years of age requires one and can be purchased online at Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission Outdoor Shop

IMO:

Hickory Run State Park is OK. Honestly, I wouldn’t travel great distances to come here. The Boulder Field is unique, however, everything else about Hickory Run State Park is pretty average.

I have trouble liking a park when you have to drive to most of its interesting features and at Hickory Run State Park that is pretty much the case.

The campsite was less than impressive.  It was ok for a couple of nights but I’m glad that this wasn’t our actual destination campground.