When planning a trip to Wayne, you can focus on nature watching, water activities, or regional history. A long rail trail, a sanctuary for birds and waterfowl, and a museum with seasonal opening hours offer different ways to plan your visit. As you arrange your accommodations, you can first choose the outings you want to shape your stay; the local details below offer specific ideas to help you decide.
Nature Trails, Lakes, and Long Routes
The D&H Rail Trail runs for 38 miles from Simpson to the New York border near Susquehanna, Pennsylvania. A different landscape awaits at the 444-acre Varden Conservation Area, where trails pass through old farmland, pine plantations, open fields, and woodland. The Tannery tract of the conservation area also has a small fishing pond and an ADA-accessible trail.
For nature watching, there are options on different scales: the Audubon Society Browning Beaver Meadow sanctuary covers 78 acres and is home to wildflowers, birds, and waterfowl. About five miles of nature trails at Dorflinger-Suydam Wildlife Sanctuary offer opportunities to observe native wildlife and waterfowl. The sanctuary protects nearly 600 acres of land in White Mills.
The lakes offer a range of experiences, too. Gouldsboro State Park covers 2,800 acres in Monroe and Wayne Counties; its 250-acre lake is suitable for fishing and boating. The 290-acre Prompton Lake has boat-launching facilities and picnic areas, while 26 miles of hiking trails run around the lake in Prompton State Park. Tobyhanna State Park covers 5,440 acres and includes the 170-acre Tobyhanna Lake. These figures distinguish the area of each park from the size of its lake.
For cyclists, PennDOT Bicycle Route Y follows Route 6 through Wayne County. The full route is 409 miles long and runs from New York to Ohio—the stated length does not refer only to the section through Wayne County.
Regional History Along Canals, in Museums, and in Historic Buildings
The historic site at D&H Canal Park at Lock 31 includes the Daniels Farmhouse, the D&H Canal, and Canal Lock 31. The towpath offers scenic views of the Lackawaxen River and opportunities to observe wildlife. A visit to the Wayne County Historical Society also adds to this look at regional history: its main museum is housed in a building constructed in 1860 as the headquarters of the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company. The society also displays a full-size, scale replica of the Stourbridge Lion.
Other collections focus on different subjects. The Dorflinger Glass Museum displays cut glass made in Christian Dorflinger’s factories between 1852 and 1921. The Adam Jubinsky Building has the “Horse-drawn Era” exhibit, as well as blacksmithing tools. St. Tikhon's Monastery houses a small museum about Orthodoxy in America and offers tours of the monastery and its museum.
The Old Stone Jail was built in 1859 and served as a jail for offenders from Wayne County until 1935. It opens for tours during the spring and summer months; confirm dates before your trip. Bethel School offers a different perspective on history: the preserved one-room schoolhouse was built around 1870 in Berlin Township near Honesdale.
Opening Hours and Visit Planning
When visiting nature areas and museums, it’s worth factoring their opening hours into your daily plans. Gouldsboro State Park and Tobyhanna State Park are open daily, year-round, from sunrise to sunset. However, individual facilities may have different seasonal hours. Van Scott Nature Reserve is also open from sunrise to sunset.
The main museum of the Wayne County Historical Society is open Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., from May 1 through December 31. From January 1 through April 30, it is open Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Check the hours before your visit. The Honesdale Fire Museum is not always open because of limited staffing; visitors can still see part of the museum through the windows. Check whether access is available before visiting.
Discover more destinations: Hawley, Wayne, Honesdale, Beach Lake, Lake Ariel, Starlight, Lake Como, Newfoundland, Gouldsboro.
For the broader travel overview: Pennsylvania.
