Varden Conservation Area
- Status
- Status not postedDaily sunrise – sunset
- Entrance fee
- Not posted
- Day-use reservations
- None mentioned
- Dogs
- Not stated — check with park
- Camping
- None listed
- Official site
- pa.gov(570) 676-3428
Official page last checked Oct 29, 2026. How we keep this current
Overview
Varden Conservation Area is a 847-acre park unit in Wayne County, about 9 miles southeast of Carbondale.
Popular activities here are cross-country skiing, winter sports, hunting in season, fishing, and hiking. On the water side, there is a fishing pier.
Hours
Park, gate, office and facility hours are listed separately because they often differ. Alerts above override normal hours.
| Facility | Days | Hours | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Park | Daily | sunrise – sunset | — |
Official wording
The park is open every day of the year, sunrise to sunset. Day use areas close at dusk. Contact the Promised Land State Park office for facility seasons and hours.
Source: official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Times are local to the park (America/New York).
Reservations
- Day use
- No day-use reservation requirement mentioned
- Booking system
- ReserveAmerica (Aspira), Pennsylvania State Parks contract
- Phone
- 888-PA-PARKS (888-727-2757)
We link to the official booking system rather than showing live availability, which changes minute to minute.
Things to do
Winter sportsCross-country skiingFishingHikingHunting
Trails
| Trail | Length | Difficulty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluebird Trail | 0.71 mi | Easiest | Recreations permitted: hiking Trailhead amenities: none This trail winds around the edges of meadows and is a good trail for observing plants and animals. Numerous bluebird boxes along the trail are monitored by volunteers.Hiking |
| Middle Creek Trail | 0.45 mi | Easiest | Recreations permitted: hiking Trailhead amenities: none This trail follows the course of Middle Creek at the edge of a large, flat meadow and ends at the conservation area boundary.Hiking |
| Pond Loop Trail | 0.73 mi | Easiest | Recreations permitted: hiking Trailhead amenities: non-flush restrooms, picnic tables This activity or structure is ADA accessible. This ADA-accessible trail begins at the teaching pavilion in the Tannery Tract, loops around to Middle Creek, passes through a forested area around a pond, and then wraps back to the pavilion.Hiking |
| Shortcut Trail | 0.1 mi | Easiest | Recreations permitted: hiking Trailhead amenities: none This wooded road is between Steel Tower Trail and the barn on Tannery Trail.Hiking |
| Steel Tower Trail | 0.27 mi | Easiest | Recreations permitted: hiking Trailhead amenities: none This trail traverses the road beneath a portion of a power line.Hiking |
| Tall Timber Trail | 0.35 mi | Easiest | Recreations permitted: hiking Trailhead amenities: none This rugged trail winds through forest connecting Wood Tower Trail to Tannery Trail.Hiking |
| Tannery Trail | 0.63 mi | Easiest | Recreations permitted: hiking Trailhead amenities: none This trail begins on Pond Trail at the footbridge that crosses Middle Creek. Tannery Trail crosses an old meadow, winds through a hemlock forest, and then merges with Bluebird Trail. Most of the trail follows an abandoned township road.Hiking |
| Whitetail Trail | 0.19 mi | Easiest | Recreations permitted: hiking Trailhead amenities: none Winding through the woods, this trail connects Tannery Trail and Wood Tower Trail.Hiking |
| Wildcat Trail | 0.37 mi | Easiest | Recreations permitted: hiking Trailhead amenities: none This trail starts off of Hemlock Road, across from the Western Wayne Middle School entrance, and winds through the forest and connects with Bluebird Trail in a meadow.Hiking |
| Wood Tower Trail | 0.79 mi | Easiest | Recreations permitted: hiking Trailhead amenities: none This trail begins on Bluebird Trail, intersects Tall Timber Trail, and ends near Middle Creek. Wood Tower Trail follows the original power line built in the 1920s to carry electricity from Lake Wallenpaupack to the Lackawanna Valley.Hiking |
| Bear Paw Trail | 0.62 mi | Easiest | Recreations permitted: hiking Trailhead amenities: non-flush restrooms This trail begins at the Mid Valley Tract access area then splits into a loop that follows the western edge of the park and travels through a conifer plantation planted by Dr. Shaffer.Hiking |
| Beechwood Trail | 0.15 mi | Easiest | Recreations permitted: hiking Trailhead amenities: none A branch off of Overlook Ridge Trail, Beechwood Trail travels through northern hardwood forests and a utility right of way.Hiking |
| Critters Run | 0.08 mi | Easiest | Recreations permitted: hiking Trailhead amenities: none The shortest trail in the conservation area, Critters Run connects the northern and southern portions of Overlook Ridge Trail. Hemlock, white pine, and many northern hardwoods border this trail.Hiking |
| Deer Run | 0.12 mi | Easiest | Recreations permitted: hiking Trailhead amenities: none This trail bisects Overlook Ridge Trail, going east to west and through a utility right-of-way.Hiking |
| Holster Creek Trail | 0.55 mi | Easiest | Recreations permitted: hiking Trailhead amenities: none This trail follows Middle Creek, then crosses Mid Valley Road to meet Shaffers Way Trail. Diverse vegetation can be seen along Holster Creek Trail.Hiking |
| Overlook Ridge Trail | 1.14 mi | Easiest | Recreations permitted: hiking Trailhead amenities: none Beginning and ending on Bear Paw Trail, Overlook Ridge Trail travels the heart of the Mid Valley Tract. This is an excellent trail to see many tree species, including hemlock, white pine, red maple, and ash.Hiking |
| Pond View Trail | 0.43 mi | Easiest | Recreations permitted: hiking Trailhead amenities: none This trail intersects with Shaffers Way Trail twice, and then loops partway around the spring-fed pond. Amphibians and other wildlife can be seen during the spring and summer months.Hiking |
| Shaffers Way | 0.23 mi | Easiest | Recreations permitted: hiking Trailhead amenities: none Connecting Overlook Ridge and Pond View trails, and intersecting Holster Creek Trail, Shaffers Way travels through hundreds of conifers planted by the man who donated the property to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.Hiking |
Trail descriptions from the park
Varden Conservation Area offers a variety of short hiking trails through farm fields, forests, and wetlands. Please stay on the trails and respect private property.
Varden Conservation Area Map
Amenities
Facilities
- Picnic areas
- Picnic shelters
Water
- Fishing pier
✓ listed by the park · ✕ the park says it is not available. Anything not shown here isn’t mentioned by the official source — that means unknown, not unavailable.
Accessibility
Varden Conservation Area offers a range of accessibility accommodations to ensure all visitors can enjoy its natural beauty and recreational opportunities.
Accessible Picnic Tables
The Tannery Tract is a flat area adjacent to the pond that has accessible picnic tables.
Tannery Tract Pavilion
The Tannery Tract has accessible pavilions available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Fishing Access
An accessible fishing pier is located at Tannery Pond. This is part of the Pond Loop Trail and the picnic area provides easy access to the pond banks.
Pond Loop Trail
0.73 mile | Easiest hiking | Loop trail | Blue blazes
Recreations permitted: hiking
Trailhead amenities: non-flush restrooms, picnic tables
This ADA-accessible trail begins at the teaching pavilion in the Tannery Tract, loops around to Middle Creek, passes through a forested area around a pond, and then wraps back to the pavilion.
Official accessibility information
Conditions change. Contact the park to confirm specific accessible features before your visit.
Getting there
- Address
- 1100 Mid Valley Road
Lake Ariel, PA 18436 - Nearest town
- Carbondale — about 9 mi southeast (straight line)
- Coordinates
- 41.4876, -75.3825
- Phone
- (570) 676-3428
- promisedlandsp@pa.gov
Google Maps directionsApple MapsOfficial park map (PDF)
Directions from the park
Varden is at the intersection of PA 196 and PA 296, in Wayne County. Tannery Road provides access to the Tannery Tract. Mid Valley Road provides access to the Mid Valley Tract. Tannery Tract GPS DD: Lat. 41.48758 Long. -75.38254
Nearby state parks
Sources and freshness
- Pennsylvania State Parks — park page — last checked Oct 29, 2026; page says updated Sep 3, 2026
- DCNR Find a Park: content-fragment JSON feed used by the pa.gov park finder
- Wikidata
- USGS PAD-US 4.1 (boundary and acreage)
“Last checked” is when our system last read the official source. No change has been detected since this page was first published. Hours, fees and rules can change without notice — confirm with the park before you go. Methodology