After years of work, Marshalls Falls Park opens in Smithfield Township

Smithfield Township’s long-awaited Marshalls Falls Park officially opened to the public on Friday, April 12.

The township bought the 15-acre parcel that makes up the bulk of the park in 2008, and another 2-acre property in 2020.

In recent years, the park effort faced challenges from both the pandemic and the potential that grants awarded years back would expire.

Additionally, acquiring the second property was critical, as a necessary permit from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation could not be given until the private driveway on that parcel was closed.

“We looked at it and we went, ‘Are we losing this park?’” Smithfield Township Manager Julia Heilakka said.

“So it means quite a bit to have this open today,” said Jacob Pride, chairman of the Smithfield Township Board of Supervisors. “Seeing people already coming from the public to come visit this place, just minutes after the ribbon cutting, is awesome and it highlights that people have been waiting for this for a really, really long time.”

A path accessible to all visitors leads from the parking area (274 Marshalls Creek Road, East Stroudsburg) to the bridge near the falls.

The total cost for this first phase of the park was about $1 million, Heilakka said.

A match of “only tens of thousands (of dollars) came from the township,” Pride said, in the form of staff time and consultants who helped secure the grants.

“It’s great to see all the natural features preserved,” Pride said, adding that the park was built with “as minimal impervious surface and other improvements of that nature, to make sure that both everyone can access it, and that it remains substantially similar to its unimproved state.”

Future phases of work at the park are expected to create more trails, parking and passive recreation opportunities, Pride said.

Monroe County Commissioner Sharon Laverdure and state Rep. Tarah Probst were in attendance for the opening, along with Mackenzie Mueller, chief of staff for state Sen. Rosemary Brown.

Pride and Heilakka also noted the support and work of past supervisors; Ron Karasek, township solicitor; former state Sen. Mario Scavello; Christine Dettore, regional advisor for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources; and U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright.

Kathryne Rubright is the managing editor of the Pocono Record and the Tri-County Independent. Reach her at krubright@gannett.com .

This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: After years of work, Marshalls Falls Park opens in Smithfield Township