The center is located on East White Bear Drive, about 5 miles west of Jim Thorpe.
Carbon County Environmental Education Center (70 acres – 2,500 acres in Mauch Chunk Lake Park)
151 East White Bear Drive, Summit Hill, PA 18250
570-645-8597 • Carbon County EEC web site
From the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-476), take the Mahoning Valley Exit and follow the signs for Jim Thorpe/U.S. 209 South. Follow U.S. 209 South into Lehighton. After crossing the Lehigh River, turn right (still U.S. 209 South) toward Jim Thorpe. Turn left at the first traffic light in Jim Thorpe (Broadway). Broadway becomes Lentz Trail then East White Bear Drive. Continue past the main entrance to Mauch Chunk Lake Park on your left. Continue 2.2 miles. The center will be on your left. The center building is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. The trails, pavilion and raptor mews (cages) are open 7 days a week from dawn to dusk. Parking and restrooms are available at the center.
The Carbon County Environmental Education Center is housed in a converted 1920 dairy barn that is on 70 acres of woodland, wetland and meadow habitat with associated transition areas within Mauch Chunk Lake Park. Over 20 years of Christmas tree recycling have created 50+ yards of continuous hedgerows. This has become a special area for finding small mammals, birds and reptiles. The building and grounds underwent considerable changes. The center offers a variety of environmental education opportunities to youth, civic organizations and the general public. |
Look for Pileated and Red-bellied woodpeckers
and winter sparrows.
Mauch Chunk Lake (330 acres) can be good for waterfowl in early spring. The songbird migration can be good at times.
Nesting birds include several species of warblers, bluebirds, swallows and orioles.
Look for migrating hawks, waterfowl on the lake,
and songbirds.
- If visiting the center, be
sure to leave enough time to see historic Jim Thorpe.
- Be sure to wear orange if birding the area during any
hunting season. Orange vests are available on loan
throughout the hunting season.
- Visit the PA Game
Commission website, www.pgc.state.pa.us, for dates of
hunting seasons and blaze orange clothing requirements. Please follow State Game Land or hunting regulations posted
in parking areas. There is no hunting on Sundays.
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