There are several ways to get to
Boulder Field. You can drive right to it by following the signs
from Route 534, or you can hike there. Either way, please pick up a
park map at the park office or campground contact station before
starting your adventure.
Please note that there are no facilities located at Boulder Field,
please use the restrooms at the Day Use Area before or after
visiting the Boulder Field if necessary.
This text is available in brochure form from the Hickory Run State
Park Office.
Stop #1
N 41º 03.035 W 75º
38.725
Welcome to the
gateway to the Boulder Field!
Before exploring the field, take a moment to read about the
fascinating history of the formation of the Boulder Field on the
interpretive signs to the right. For more information, attend an
interpretive talk or stop by the park office with questions.
The Boulder Field is not only a State Parks Natural Area, it is
also a National Natural Landmark, having National Park Service and
State Parks protection. Please help to keep the Boulder Field as
natural as possible… during your visit, please practice
Leave No Trace:
Moving or removing rocks is illegal.
Writing on the rocks is illegal.
Take your trash with you. There are dumpsters in the Day Use
Area.
Are you ready to explore? Going from one stop to another, please
keep in mind the following:
Proper footwear (sneakers) is essential for safety.
Keep both hands free, and try to stay low, walking like a
monkey!
Bring water; it can get very warm on the rocks and going to each
stop will be about a 1-mile walk
Zip keys, cell phones, and other important items in a pocket or
store in another secure location—the field is 10-12 feet deep
and if you drop something, it is likely that you will never see it
again!
Stop
#2
N 41º 02.993
W 75º 38.660
Despite the fact that it is illegal to move or remove rocks, people
have. You can see that this has happened at this spot. People have
moved the rocks around in an attempt to dig to the bottom of the
Boulder Field, 10-12 feet down. Sandstone that is gray has built up
a coating over thousands of years. That coating helps protect the
rock from erosion. Rocks that have been moved and turned over have
the fresh red sandstone surface exposed. Because that red surface
does not have a protective coating built up on it, those rocks are
more vulnerable to erosion. And, because they have been moved,
those rocks are more likely to be wobbly—so be careful as you
explore the field!
You may see more of these pits as you explore. Take a moment to
look and listen as you come upon them. The Boulder Field drains a
swampy area at the eastern end of the field, and in some of the
pits you can see or hear running water under the rocks. The water
flows under the field and forms Hickory Run, the creek after which
the park has been named. From the Boulder Field, Hickory Run flows
through the park to Hickory Run Lake, down past the two group
camps, past the park office and chapel, and eventually into the
Lehigh River.
Stop #3
N 41º 02.961 W 75º
38.698
The Boulder Field is shaped like a whale (use your imagination!).
At this point, you are at the very tip of the whale’s
imaginary lips!
Stop #4
N 41º 02.971 W 75º
38.607
Here at the edge of Boulder Field, change is constant. Succession
is a natural process that can drastically change landscapes and
ecosystems. The field is lined mostly by evergreen trees (such as
White Pine and Eastern Hemlock), but also by some deciduous trees
(such as Red Maple, American Beech, and Black Birch) which lose
their leaves each fall. Where those leaves fall, a little bit of
soil builds up, and slowly grasses and seedlings make their way in
towards the field. Yes, Boulder Field is shrinking due to
succession. However, this is a very slow process, and it is a
natural process. Because Boulder Field is a State Parks Natural
Area and National Natural Landmark, we want it to remain as natural
as possible and will not interfere with the succession taking place
here.
Stop #5
N 41º 02.987 W 75º
38.389
This is where the really big boulders live! The biggest rocks are
up to 25-feet in length. The rocks in this super secret section are
much larger and more angular than the rocks near the parking area,
which suggests that they have not moved as much as the smaller
rocks.
Stop #6
N 41º 03.098 W 75º
38.366
Now you are at the
tail end of the whale. From here, it is about 1,700 feet back to
the parking lot. Be careful as you make your way back to the
starting point; the rocks get smaller as you approach the parking
lot end of the field, and may require more time to navigate than
expected.
To get the coordinates for the hidden cache:
At Stop #6,
look into the edge of the forest to the NE. What color is the paint
blaze on the tree? Take the number of letters in that color,
multiply by 4, and insert that number in the blank spot
below:
N 41º 03._ _7 W 75º
38.684
Original
contents:
BF bookmarks
1 tube bubbles
1 mini frisbee
Mission Green PA booklets
5 seed packets
Peregrine falcon stickers
i-Conserve window cling
i-Conserve stickers
2 LNT Cards
Thanks for visiting!
Thank you
for visiting the Boulder Field at Hickory Run State Park! While
you’re at the park, please consider checking out some of the
other attractions
Over 40-miles of trails
Hawk Falls, the park’s only natural waterfall
Swimming beach at Sand Spring Lake open from Memorial Day to Labor
Day
Campground with nearly 400 sites
Scenic vistas from Fireline Trail
Disc golf and orienteering courses located in the Sand Spring Day
Use Area
Free interpretive programs on weekends from Memorial Day to Labor
Day
Several streams, ponds, and a lake for fishing
If you need an accommodation to participate in park activities due
to a disability, please contact the Pennsylvania Bureau of State
Parks:
888-PA-PARKS (voice)
888-537-7294 (TTY)
711 (AT&T Relay Services)