Union Dale appeals to a range of travel interests: Elk Mountain offers ski runs for winter sports, the O&W Rail Trail provides a route through town, and Stillwater Lake offers a connection to the water. When planning your trip, you can first decide whether skiing, a Rail Trail loop tour, or the lake should be the deciding factor. This keeps your choices focused on your main interest, rather than combining the different themes into a single must-do itinerary.
Skiing at Elk Mountain
Elk Mountain has 180 acres of skiable terrain and 27 runs. These figures complement each other: the size of the area and the number of runs highlight different aspects of the skiing on offer. If you are considering skiing as the main reason to choose this destination, you can use both figures to help guide your decision. The Winter Garden Restaurant is a dining option on the slopes of Elk Mountain and is therefore also connected to this skiing focus. The runs and the restaurant offer two different points of reference: one is the sporting option, the other a named dining option. If you would like to include other interests, the Rail Trails and Stillwater Lake offer different themes to explore in town.
O&W and D&H Rail Trails
The O&W Rail Trail is an easy, 32.9-mile-long trail that runs through Union Dale. Together with the D&H Rail Trail, it can be used for various loop tours. These are two distinct features: the easy rating and length refer to the O&W Rail Trail; the loop tours mentioned use both Rail Trails. The length of the O&W and the option of taking various loop tours therefore answer different planning questions. If you would rather focus on trails than ski runs, you can use this combination as a guide without turning it into a fixed itinerary for your stay. An original D&H pusher caboose is also located in Union Dale. This is a different connection to railways than a trail route: the Rail Trails are about loop tours, while the caboose is a single original rail object in town.
Stillwater Lake and the boat launch
Stillwater Lake is located in Union Dale on the Lackawanna River. The 83-acre reservoir belongs to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Under an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission operates and maintains a public boat launch at the lake. This sets the lake apart from the two land-based themes: the focus here is a reservoir and a public boat launch, while the O&W and D&H Rail Trails offer loop tours and Elk Mountain is known for its ski runs. You can therefore choose among the three options according to what you want to focus on during your trip—winter sports, trails, or the lake.
Choosing Union Dale for your stay
When choosing a destination, the type of activities matters as much as their number. In Union Dale, the interests described range from the 27 ski runs at Elk Mountain to the easy rating and length of the O&W Rail Trail, as well as the option of using both Rail Trails for loop tours. Stillwater Lake adds another option, with its location on the Lackawanna River and its public boat launch. The original D&H pusher caboose offers a distinct connection to railways. So consider which of these highlights matters most to you: the details about the ski runs help you assess the skiing on offer, the trail features provide another way to choose, and the lake and boat launch offer an independent connection to the water. This lets you choose Union Dale according to your main interest, rather than inferring an unsubstantiated route from the different themes.
Discover more destinations: Montrose
Return to the main travel overview: Susquehanna County.
