New and improved Seven Tubs back to being a hotspot

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Residents with a passion for the outdoors have had to go without the sights and sounds of the Seven Tubs Recreation Area since April 2023, when the area was shut down for a series of infrastructure projects.

Those projects are now complete, and the reopened Seven Tubs has reclaimed its place as a local hotspot.

“It’s a lot cooler up here than being downtown,” said Sue LaMontagne, a Swoyersville resident and frequent visitor of Seven Tubs. “And it’s just peaceful and relaxing.”

Sue, her husband, Kyle, and their dog, Scooby Doo, were happy to be back on the walking trail they have spent a considerable amount of time on over the years. The couple said they spoke to a representative from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) when the park first reopened last month, and they got an update on some of the bigger changes that came out of those infrastructure projects.

“They told us they fixed the first bridge, they’re working on fixing the second bridge and they took the dam out by the bottom,” Sue explained. “I can’t wait to get down there and see what it looks like without that dam there. It’s all flushed out now, I’m sure.”

Officially, the $1.5 million construction plan included everything from upgrading the parking lot and improving the conditions of the walking trail to developing easier access to the D&L Trail. The latter development would, in theory, connect the Seven Tubs area of the Pinchot State Forest to the Black Diamond Trailhead in Wright Township.

According to a DCNR map of Seven Tubs, the area’s seven tub-like potholes “were formed by flowing glacial meltwater that eroded the sandstone bedrock.” Along the flowing water, commonly known as Wheelbarrow Run, is a walking trail, which offers views of the iconic waterfalls that accompany the seven tubs.

The LaMontagnes, as gurus of the Seven Tubs walking trail, are able to pick up on the differences that have popped up since the closure, including the amount of people who are visiting Seven Tubs at this point in the year.

Some of the new people who are enjoying the park this spring are visiting Northeast Pennsylvania from relatively far away.

Gary Tansley and Tammy Harrison, a couple from Trenton, Michigan, are visiting Tansley’s daughter in the area. While in Northeast Pennsylvania, they’ve done a significant amount of regional exploring, including in Jim Thorpe, Scranton and Hickory Run State Park. The pair also visited Yuengling Brewery in Pottsville, as indicated when Tansley pointed to his hat, emblazoned with the Yuengling logo.

Tansley and Harrison found out about Seven Tubs by looking at a Luzerne County travel guide they picked up at a rest stop during their drive from Michigan. As non-locals, they had no idea the park was closed, but the timing of their visit could not have been better.

“This is the best type of entertainment,” Harrison said. “It’s not too far from where we’re staying, and I love waterfalls.”

Their unfamiliarity with the park gave them the opportunity to explore more freely, giving them a fuller view of Seven Tubs’ natural beauty.

“I don’t know exactly where the main path is, but we like to follow the grain and see the natural beauty that the park has to offer versus just the paved, commercial area of the park,” said Tansley.

Suzi Williams, of Hughestown, and Marla Lahr, of Plains, didn’t have to travel as far to make it to Seven Tubs. “I work down at Geisinger so I just shot right up,” Williams said. “I came up because I had a half-day and I was talking to [Marla], and we just decided to come check it out since it opened up again.”

Williams and Lahr weren’t alone on their walk. Lahr’s dog, Lucy, joined the pair. Over the past year, they’ve had to explore other natural areas in the region, such as Ricketts Glen State Park and Frances Slocum State Park, to fill the gap created when Seven Tubs being closed.

“I came to bring Lucy to her first hike. She’ll be two. We’ve been up to Lake Frances Slocum, but this is her first time here,” Lahr said of Lucy’s visit to Seven Tubs, as well as her own motivation to check out the revamped recreation area.

If the springtime is any indication, it should be a busy summer at Seven Tubs. But, with the infrastructure projects completed, the area is prepared to accommodate larger crowds, creating a peaceful, outdoor atmosphere for people and their pets.

To maintain the safety of the area and its visitors, the DCNR prohibits open fires, charcoal grills, organized picnicking, biking or horseback riding on trails, dogs without a leash, diving into water, cliff jumping, loud music, camping and hunting at Seven Tubs Recreation Area.