Lackawanna River Heritage Trail to open new section

SCRANTON — On July 26 the Lackawanna Heritage Valley National and State Heritage Area will open the newest stretch of the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail connecting Elm Street in the City of Scranton to the Keyser Creek in the Borough of Taylor.

Known as the CNJ Extension, named for the former rail line that ran through there, this new two-mile section is a dual-surface trail offering walkers, runners and bikers the option of a paved or stone dust path to follow. The additional two miles, located near the South Side Shopping Center, create a contiguous four-mile trail from the Downtown Scranton Riverwalk at Olive Street to the 7 Avenue, Broadway and Elm Street trailheads and now to the Keyser Creek in Taylor. The final leg of the first annual Scranton Half Marathon will be held on this section on April 6, 2014.

The Lackawanna Heritage Valley is developing the trail not only for recreation and transportation, but also to interpret the historic and cultural life of the region. Dr. Gere Reisinger, a Luzerne County resident and representative of the Seneca Nation, says this section was an important stop for Native American tribes on their journeys along the Lackawanna River. Hundreds of years later, these waters remain a popular site for fishermen. Bald eagles and ospreys fly overhead regularly, competing with local fishermen for the trophy trout that thrive there.

Tom Austin, a local artist and consultant for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, has created several works of art depicting the region's Native American heritage. When he discovered a red oak tree that was to be cut down, he carved a large statue of a Native American chief. Nearby he also created numerous rock carvings representing Native American heritage and flower planters filled with lilies and other species.

Reisinger has erected a tepee nearby a garden of herbs that would have been used by the Native Americans who fished in the river.

The Lackawanna River Heritage Trail runs 40 miles along the Lackawanna River, beginning at the confluence with the Susquehanna in Pittston, joining the Delaware and Hudson (D&H) trail in Simpson, and continuing to Union Dale at the Stillwater Dam. From there, the trail extends north to the New York State border to complete the 70-mile trail system.

The new trail section opens with a ribbon cutting at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 26, at the newly constructed Amphitheater located near the Taylor end of the trail.