Preserves
Preserves are lands owned by the Conservancy and managed to protect their conservation values. Many of these sites are open to the public.
Countryside Conservancy owns 510 acres of lands in Lackawanna and Wyoming counties. These preserves are managed to protect their natural conservation values, and most of them are open for public visitation from dawn to dusk year-round. Entry to Conservancy lands is free of charge. Please observe all posted signs and regulations. For an interactive map of the preserves click this link or scroll to the bottom of the page.
Bagley Preserve
Bagley Preserve: acquired via donation by the Bagley Family in 2011. This 74-acre property is located in the City of Scranton, Lackawanna County. It is a combination of 3 parcels that border the Shepherd Preserve in “the Notch,” and extends up over the mountain down to the Morgan Highway.
Davis Crossing Preserve
Davis Crossing Preserve: acquired via donation by the Lackawanna Audubon Society in 2013. This 61-acre property in Overfield Township, Wyoming County, is partly wooded and partly wetlands, featuring heavy beaver activity. Located along Erhardt Road between Factoryville Sportsman’s Club and Lake Winola.
Fordham Preserve
Fordham Preserve: acquired in 2005. A 22-acre parcel in Benton Township, Lackawanna County. Dominated by a beaver-dammed wetland and fringing woodlands. The wetland, which supports abundant wildlife, feeds into the South Branch of the Tunkhannock Creek. Access by permission only.
Forest Acres Preserve
Forest Acres Preserve: acquired via donation by the Lackawanna Audubon Society in 2013. This 27-acre property in Newton Township, Lackawanna County, is partly wooded but mostly wetlands located along Forest Acres Drive near the Abington Elementary and Middle Schools.Gardner Spencer Preserve
Gardner Spencer Preserve: acquired in 2017. An 82-acre property adjoining both our Ziegler Preserve and Lackawanna State Park. Bucolic fields, mature hemlock groves and a babbling brook are the main features of this brand-new preserve. Park at the Ziegler Preserve Trailhead on PA Route 438, 1 mile east of the Route 407 intersection, to access the Gardner Spencer Preserve. In partnership with the Lackawanna State Park Trail Crew and DirtSculpt LLC, 2.6 miles of machine-built hiking and mountain biking trails were recently completed on the property. Click here for a trail map or download the free mapping app – Trailforks. Please stay on the trails and respect any closures due to wet conditions.
Gateway Preserve
Gateway Preserve: acquired in 2001. A small preserve on Lily Lake Road in North Abington Township, Lackawanna County. Adjoins a larger conservation easement held by the Wildlands Conservancy.Little Rocky Glen Preserve
Little Rocky Glen: acquired in 2004. A 26-acre property containing a spectacular sandstone gorge on the South Branch of the Tunkhannock Creek in Clinton Township, Wyoming County. Steep hemlock-clad slopes rise to either side of the gorge. This has historically been a popular fishing and picnicking spot; a picnic shelter was opened here in fall 2008. Open to the public dawn to dusk, April to November.
Click here to download trail map. No swimming or diving; please observe our rules and respect the site!
Meadowsweet Preserve
Meadowsweet Preserve: acquired in 2001. A 59-acre preserve fronting onto Lily Lake Road in Waverly Township, Lackawanna County. Part of our Lackawanna State Park buffer project. Contains open fields, wet meadow, forested wetland and young forest. Park in the gravel parking area on Lily Lake Road to find the trailhead leading up to Quarry Ridge Preserve and Lackawanna State Park (about 1 mile one way). Click here to download a trail map.Messimer Preserve
Messimer Preserve: acquired in 2005. A 44-acre forested creekside property on the South Branch of the Tunkhannock Creek in North Abington Township, Lackawanna County. Majestic woods rise on steep slopes above the creek. This preserve protects lands from near the ridgeline down to the creek to maintain water quality, stream life, and recreational opportunities, as well as Lackawanna Lake and Lackawanna State Park downstream. Access this property from Grist Mill Road; park at the designated Conservancy parking area.Quarry Ridge Preserve
Quarry Ridge: acquired in 2000. A 30-acre preserve abutting the southeast corner of Lackawanna State Park in North Abington Township, Lackawanna County. Part of our Lackawanna State Park buffer project. A mix of woodlands and open meadows on hilly terrain. A trail constructed and maintained by Conservancy volunteers links this property and the State Park with the nearby Meadowsweet Preserve and Lily Lake Road. Click here to download a trail map.Shepherd Preserve
Shepherd Preserve: acquired in 2007. A 42-acre forested parcel above Leggett’s Creek in the Notch, South Abington Township, Lackawanna County. This wooded property protects part of the steep, dramatic views seen every day by thousands of commuters on Interstate 81 and US Route 11. This property is not open to the public due to access and safety issues.Trostle Pond Preserve
Trostle Pond Preserve: acquired in 2006, transferred to Lackawanna State park in 2008. Drop in on this highly scenic 34-acre parcel of fields, woods and pond on Route 407 as part of your next visit to Lackawanna State Park!Waverly Preserve
Waverly Preserve: acquired in 2006. A 4.4-acre wooded and wetland parcel on the southern edge of Waverly in Abington Township, Lackawanna County. It is part of a 65-acre complex of Conservancy protected lands contributing to a greenbelt around the Waverly historic district.Ziegler Preserve
Ziegler Preserve: acquired in 2003. A 35-acre property adjoining the north edge of Lackawanna State Park, part of our State Park buffer project. Mature woods and numerous old stone walls distinguish this preserve. Park at the gravel parking area on PA Route 438, 1 mile east of the Route 407 intersection, to access a mile-long hiking and mountain-biking trail which connects to Lackawanna State Park’s Bull Hill Trail. Click here to download a trail map.Countryside Conservancy Preserves
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