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Places We Protect

Long Pond Preserve & Hauser Nature Center

Pennsylvania

A view of a cleared rocky boulder field surrounded by green, yellow, and orange foliage.
Boulder field Follow Cathy's trail into the forested swamp, where you will be greeted by a boulder field and can explore the rocky remnants left after the last glacier retreat. © Melisa Soysal/TNC

This part of the Pocono Mountains sustains the highest known assemblage of globally rare species in Pennsylvania.

Overview

Description

The Nature Conservancy’s Long Pond Complex in western Monroe County, Pennsylvania, includes two separate preserves: Long Pond Preserve, home to the Hauser Nature Center and Cathy’s Trail, and the nearby Long Pond Barrens, located just down the road

Together, these sites showcase a remarkable variety of habitats, bogs, swamps, oak forests, boreal forests and northern hardwood forests, situated along the southeastern edge of the Pocono Plateau.

TNC and partners have surveyed plant and animal communities here using spatial and demographic data to guide long‑term management. Working with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, TNC has also used prescribed fire across the broader landscape to restore more than 2,000 acres over the past decade.

Whether you’re a family looking for a peaceful outdoor afternoon, a birder seeking a prime spot before hitting the trails or a curious visitor wanting to learn more about TNC’s work, the Long Pond Preserve offers something for everyone.

The Long Pond Preserve is open to the public 365 days a year from sunrise to sunset.

Access

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Hours

Hauser Nature Center: Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. (Hours may vary in winter.) Trails: Open 365 days a year from sunrise to sunset.

Wheelchair Accessible

This preserve allows the use of OPDMDs with restrictions. Cathy’s Trail and the parking lot are currently wheelchair accessible. Work is ongoing to make the Nature Center more accessible. Please reach out with questions.

Highlights

boulder field, swamp, bog and marsh habitats; birdwatching; rare butterflies and moths; woodland and meadow hikes

Size

The Long Pond landscape is a 12,000‑acre complex owned and managed by Tunkhannock Township, Monroe County, the Pennsylvania Game Commission, Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry, Pennsylvania State Parks, Wildlands Conservancy and TNC.

Electric Vehicle Charging

Two Rivian chargers are available in the Hauser Nature Center parking lot and are compatible with all EVs using a J1772 plug.

Explore our work in Pennsylvania

Brightly colored flowers grow in front of a barn.
Hauser Nature Center During the spring and summer months, visitors can explore the native pollinator garden at Hauser Nature Center. © John Hinkson/TNC

Hauser Nature Center

The Hauser Nature Center is the welcoming heart of TNC’s work in northeastern Pennsylvania and a must‑visit stop for anyone exploring the Long Pond Preserve. Surrounded by forests, wetlands and vibrant meadows, the Hauser serves as both a community gathering place and a nature‑immersion starting point.

Whether you’re beginning your hike or wrapping up a day outdoors, Hauser offers plenty to discover:

  • Relax outdoors at the picnic tables, enjoy lunch under shady trees, or let kids explore the nearby playground.
  • Take in the beauty of the pollinator garden, which blooms with color from summer into fall. Watch butterflies drift between native wildflowers while bees hum through the goldenrod, milkweed and blazing star.
  • Visit the indoor space to meet TNC staff, browse educational exhibits, flip through nature books in the reading nook or learn about ongoing conservation across the Long Pond Preserve Complex.
  • Charge your EV while you explore using the two Rivian chargers located right in the parking lot.
  • Enjoy seasonal activities and events, from guided walks and nature pop‑ups to community science days (when scheduled).
A wooden kisok sits at a trail entracne.
Cathy's Trail Cathy’s Trail (1.7-mile loop) is located near our Hauser Nature Center. © Melisa Soysal/TNC

Cathy's Trail & Universal Access Trail

Cathy’s Trail begins at the kiosk in the parking lot and leads visitors through a vibrant pollinator garden before continuing along a 0.75‑mile Universal Access loop. Designed with mobility in mind, the accessible section features four spacious turnarounds and accommodates mobility devices. Along the route, you'll encounter blueberry bushes, goldenrod and tamarack trees (Larix laricina), a boreal species thriving here. Shrubland birds nest along the trail, and spring visitors may catch the woodcock’s dramatic courtship display at dusk or dawn.

Beyond the Universal Access Trail, Cathy’s Trail enters the forest, following the edge of a boreal coniferous swamp, a habitat more typical of Canada and New England. Traverse boulder fields left behind by the last glacier, walk through red spruce forest and continue into northern hardwood forest dominated by beech, cherry and red maple. The trail reconnects with the meadow loop of the Universal Access Trail approximately 0.4 miles from the parking lot kiosk.

Two people using wheel chairs talk to each other as they explore a nature trail.
Universal Access Trail Cathy’s Trail includes a 0.75-mile Universal Access Trail, designed to provide nature access for those using mobility devices at Long Pond Preserve. © Melisa Soysal/TNC
A person walks along a path surrounded by fall foliage.
Fall at Cathy's Trail Fall is a great time to explore Cathy's Trail and witness the beauty of the changing foliage. © Melisa Soysal/TNC
Universal Access Trail Cathy’s Trail includes a 0.75-mile Universal Access Trail, designed to provide nature access for those using mobility devices at Long Pond Preserve. © Melisa Soysal/TNC
Fall at Cathy's Trail Fall is a great time to explore Cathy's Trail and witness the beauty of the changing foliage. © Melisa Soysal/TNC

Visitor Information

  • Stop in the Nature Center

    Meet TNC staff, explore the children’s library and reading nook, and learn about conservation work across the preserve.
    Hours: Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. (Winter hours may vary.)

    Explore the Trails

    • Walk through the pollinator garden alive with monarchs, bees and native flowers.
    • Explore the 0.75‑mile Universal Access Trail, designed for mobility devices and featuring meadow views and diverse vegetation.
    • Continue onto Cathy’s Trail to explore forested wetland and a "secret" boulder field containing glacial features.
    • Visit the nearby Long Pond Barrens for expansive firebreak trails and firsthand views of prescribed fire restoration.

    Birding

    Cathy’s Trail features several bluebird and bat boxes providing habitat for native species. Spring visitors may observe the woodcock’s courtship display at dusk or dawn.

  • Long Pond is one of Audubon Society’s Important Bird Areas of Pennsylvania. Visitors may see rare butterflies, moths and birds that are locally abundant here but less common statewide, including:

    • Osprey
    • Northern harrier
    • Eastern towhee
    • Prairie warbler
    • Whip‑poor‑will
    • Common yellowthroat
    • Chestnut‑sided warbler

    American bittern and northern harrier also occur here, species seldom observed elsewhere in the region. Birdwatching is prime from early spring through fall.

    This preserve’s exceptionally diverse mesic till barrens bogs, swamps, marshes, shallow ponds and woodlands with rhodora, sheep‑laurel, highbush blueberry and huckleberrysupport many boreal species and contain glacial rock formations more typical of Canada and New England.

  • Help us build a community science database for our Pennsylvania and Delaware preserves. Using iNaturalist, visitors can record and share observations of plants, fungi, insects, birds, mammals and more.

    Of our 14 preserve projects, nine currently have recorded observations. Contribute your findings to support conservation monitoring and management.

  • We invite you to experience and enjoy TNC’s public preserves. Please be mindful that every visitor has an impact. We ask that you follow our visitation guidelines to protect yourself and nature.

    • Come prepared with sturdy footwear, sun protection, drinking water, rain gear and long sleeves/pants to reduce exposure to ticks and poison ivy.
    • Stay on marked trails and respect your surroundings. Do not trespass on adjacent private property. Do not climb trees, disturb plants, feed wildlife or remove signage.
    • Dogs are allowed and may be off‑leash but must remain under owner control at all times. Clean up and carry out all dog waste.
    • Alcohol, smoking, drug use, firearms (except during hunting seasons, following all PGC regulations), horseplay, sports, camping, cookouts, open flames, loud music, swimming and other disruptive activities are prohibited.
    • ATVs, bicycles and any motor vehicles not used for accessibility are prohibited.
    • Park only in designated spaces near the trailhead. Do not park along roads or on private property.
    • There are no restroom facilities. Pack out all trash and waste, including biodegradable materials.
    • TNC may refuse access to visitors who violate guidelines and may prosecute offenders under applicable regulations. To report violations, contact pa_chapter@tnc.org.

Nature for All

The Nature Conservancy is dedicated to building a world where both people and nature can thrive together. Our mission is to protect lands and waters on which all life depends. We strive to offer opportunities for individuals of all ages, abilities, backgrounds and perspectives to develop a lifelong bond with the natural world. We believe that nature should be accessible to all, and we invite you to enjoy the outdoors safely and fairly at our public preserves. We all share one planet, and everyone is welcome here.

Views from the Long Pond Preserve

The Long Pond Preserve is comprised of the Hauser Nature Center and Cathy's Trail and features swamp, forest and marsh habitats.

A person smiles holding a butterfly net towards the camera.
A bush with green leaves and several small blueberries.
An eastern towhee sits on a bare branch.
A car white card is plugged into an electric charger.
A view of the inside of a nature center with a table featuring pamphlets and brochures. There are animal posters on the walls and wooden stairs to the left.
A close up of a tree with spiky green pines and small brown circular growths.
a black bear looks into the camera from a distance while crossing a path through the forest.
A wooden kiosk featuring large maps site in the forest.
A monarch butterfly hangs off of the edge of a purple flower.
Several people utilizing mobility devices explore a gravel trail.
A person smiles holding a butterfly net towards the camera.

Monarch Tagging: Each year, TNC hosts a tagging event at the pollinator garden at Hauser Nature Center, which serves as a stopover for the migrating monarch butterflies. © Kathleen McFadden/TNC

A bush with green leaves and several small blueberries.

Blueberry Bush: Wild Blueberry bushes can be found along the Woodcock Trail Loop at Long Pond. © John Hinkson/TNC

An eastern towhee sits on a bare branch.

Eastern towhee: Many birds, like birds like the Eastern towhee are found in Long Pond, but are less common across Pennsylvania. © Matt Williams

A car white card is plugged into an electric charger.

Electric Vehicles: Our Hauser Nature Center in Long Pond is home to two public electric vehicle charging stations. © Melisa Soysal/TNC

A view of the inside of a nature center with a table featuring pamphlets and brochures. There are animal posters on the walls and wooden stairs to the left.

Inside Hauser Nature Center: Hauser Nature Center features information about the Long Pond Preserve and the native species in and around the area. © Matt Kane/TNC

A close up of a tree with spiky green pines and small brown circular growths.

Tamarack trees: Appearing in early spring, these Tamarack tree cones often remain on branches for several years © Melisa Soysal/TNC

a black bear looks into the camera from a distance while crossing a path through the forest.

Bear: A black bear crosses a path at The Nature Conservancy's Long Pond Preserve. © John Galarza

A wooden kiosk featuring large maps site in the forest.

Kiosk: At the trailhead just off the nature center, visitors are greeted by a kiosk with information about the preserve and restoration projects underway. © Melisa Soysal/TNC

A monarch butterfly hangs off of the edge of a purple flower.

Hauser Nature Center: A monarch butterfly sips nectar from flowering plants in the pollinator garden at Pennsylvania's Hauser Nature Center at Long Pond Preserve. © Matt Kane / TNC

Several people utilizing mobility devices explore a gravel trail.

Universal Access Trail: This loop offers a flat gravel trail for folks of all ages and abilities looking to connect with nature. © Melisa Soysal/TNC

Explore More Nature

Need more nature? Visit some other TNC preserves.

Find More Places We Protect

The Nature Conservancy owns nearly 1,500 preserves covering more than 2.5 million acres across all 50 states. These lands protect wildlife and natural systems, serve as living laboratories for innovative science and connect people to the natural world.

See the Complete Map