Frances Slocum State Park

Frances Slocum State Park consists of 1,035 acres in northeastern Pennsylvania’s Luzerne County.

The horseshoe shaped, 165-acre lake is popular for boating and fishing, and is a home to many species of birds, fish, and wildlife. Numerous hiking and mountain biking trails and the large day use area attract visitors to picnic and explore the forests.

Hiking at Frances Slocum State Park

13.7 miles of trails

Bluebird Trail
0.5 mile

This trail passes through fields and mixed forests in the northern portion of the park.

Buck and Doe Trails
0.8 mile and 0.3 mile

While skirting stone walls and old fields and passing through stands of pines, these trails connect to Maconaquah Trail in several places.

Campground Trail
1 mile

Campers can access this trail from the Stony Point parking lot or from behind the Organized Group Tenting Area. A short stretch of Campground Trail follows Larch Tree Trail.

Deer Trail
3.2 miles

This trail starts at the environmental education center and passes through diverse habitats including lakeshore, thicket, hemlock stand, mixed forest, marsh, and hardwood forest.

Upper Deer Trail
0.6 mile

This trail parallels Deer Trail through a mixed hardwood hillside.

Frances Slocum Trail
0.7-mile

This loop trail begins and ends at the boat rental parking lot. On this trail, hikers can see beautiful forests and the rock shelter where Delaware Indians temporarily held their small captive named Frances Slocum.

Hilltop Loop Trail
orange blazes, 0.7 mile

The trailhead is on Green Road. Hilltop Trail is the starting point to access all trails on the western side of the park or it can be hiked as a short loop.

Lakeshore Trail
1.4-mile

This trail begins at the Campground Road bridge or the Big Pines Picnic Area and follows the lake shore. The trail is popular with shore anglers.

Larch Tree Trail
2 miles

This hilly trail loops around the northeast corner of the park and through a large stand of larch trees.

Macanaquah Trail
2.5 miles

This trail begins and ends on Carverton Road and intersects other trails.

Picnicking at Frances Slocum State Park

Some picnic areas are available year round. Picnic facilities include:

Drinking water fountains
Modern restrooms
Trash and recycling receptacles
Charcoal grills
Charcoal disposal pits
All areas are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

This activity or structure is ADA accessible. Three ADA accessible picnic pavilions may be reserved up to 11 months in advance for a fee. Unreserved picnic pavilions are free on a first-come, first-served basis.

Stay the Night at Frances Slocum State Park

Camping
Flush toilets, warm showers, electric hook-ups

A 100-site campground is available from the second Friday in April to the third Sunday in October.

This activity or structure is ADA accessible. There are 85 tent or trailer sites, some are ADA accessible and some have electric hookups.
The 15 walk-in tent sites offer additional privacy.

Each campsite contains a picnic table and fire ring.

Pets are permitted on designated sites.

Flush toilets, showers, drinking water, sanitary dump station, and boat launch are available.

Swimming at Frances Slocum State Park

This activity or structure is ADA accessible.
The swimming pool is open daily from 11:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day, unless posted otherwise. A fee is charged for pool use.

A seasonal snack bar has fast food and beverages.

Wildlife Watching at Frances Slocum State Park

The 165-acre lake, wetlands, vernal pools, and forests of Frances Slocum State Park are havens for wildlife.

In the spring, the park’s vernal pools are the breeding grounds of wood frogs and salamanders.

In the summer, songbirds such as yellow warblers, brown thrashers, and Baltimore orioles raise their young. Blue-eyed grass, wild geranium, false hellebore, and Jack-in-the-pulpit are just a few of the many species of wildflowers that bloom in the park.

Painted turtles, great blue herons, and a wide variety of dragonfly species inhabit the lake and wetlands.

Boating at Frances Slocum State Park

Electric motors only

The 165-acre Frances Slocum Lake has:

Two boat launches
Two mooring areas
Courtesy docks
Motorboats must display a current boat registration.

Non-powered boats must display one of the following:

Boat registration
Launching permit or mooring permit from Pennsylvania state parks -- available at most state park offices
Launching permit from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission regulations and laws apply.

Fishing at Frances Slocum State Park

The 165-acre Frances Slocum Lake is a warm water fishery. Common species are:

Crappie
Bluegill
Perch
Catfish
Muskellunge
Pickerel
Smallmouth bass
Largemouth bass
Walleye
Stocked trout

This activity or structure is ADA accessible. An ADA accessible fishing pier is between Picnic Pavilion Three and the main boat launch.

Ice Fishing
Ice fishing is permitted on the natural ice of the lake.

Ice thickness is not monitored.

Hunting at Frances Slocum State Park

Of the 700 acres open to hunting:

350 acres are open to archery hunting
350 acres in the west side of the park are open to hunting, trapping, and the training of dogs during established seasons
Common game species are:

Deer
Waterfowl
Turkey
Rabbit
Squirrel
Hunting woodchucks, also known as groundhogs, is prohibited. Dog training is only permitted from the day following Labor Day through March 31 in designated hunting areas.

DCNR and Pennsylvania Game Commission rules and regulations apply. Complete information about hunting rules and regulations in Pennsylvania is available from the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

This activity or structure is ADA accessible. Contact the park office for ADA accessible hunting information.

Mountain Biking at Frances Slocum State Park

5 miles of trails

The mountain biking trails are in the west side of the park and range in difficulty from easiest to more difficult. All mountain biking trails are designated with red blazes.

Bikers should respect other riders and hikers when using designated trails.

Sledding at Frances Slocum State Park

A good slope for sledding is west of the swimming pool.

Cross-Country Skiing at Frances Slocum State Park

When conditions permit, the campground road and day-use areas are popular for cross-country skiing.

Ice Skating at Frances Slocum State Park

When conditions permit, ice skating is permitted on the natural ice of the lake.

Ice thickness is not monitored.