By Carol Hillestad, Pocono Heritage Land Trust

Heading up Route 940 from Paradise Valley to Mount Pocono, have you ever noticed the woods that stretch away on either side?

No McMansions, no big box stores, no parking lots or congestion. For two miles, nothing but the land, cloaked in native forest, changing day by day with the seasons —  peaceful and beautiful in every light, a gift of pure, natural pleasure.

It’s Kurmes Paradise Creek Nature Preserve-- 400 acres of undisturbed Pocono forest, preserved and open to the public in Monroe County.

In the early 2000s, Pocono Heritage Land Trust began conversations with the owner, Deborah van Dam. Her parents had loved the place. Now that they were gone and the land was hers, she wanted to honor their memory by protecting it-- and making sure that it would always remain in its natural state.

She also liked the idea of opening it to the public — hikers, anglers, photographers, dreamers — anyone who valued the natural world.

Wanting to name the preserve after her parents, van Dam and her family donated part of the value of the property.

In 2005, with grants and donations from the van Dams and others, PHLT closed on the deal, and Kurmes Preserve was born.

Thanks to them, these natural woodlands remain unchanged — sloping uphill on one side of the road, and falling away downhill toward the creek valley on the other.

Now, in early spring, the woods are running with water, protected and filtered by the forest.

On the north side of the preserve, seeps, wetlands, snowmelt and rain form runs and rills that converge, creating the fast-rushing waters of Tank Creek and Yankee Run, the headwaters of Paradise Creek.

On sunny afternoons, the light itself seems to sparkle among the healthy hemlock and rhododendron thickets along the creeks.

Just steps from the Devil’s Hole trailhead, a vernal pool is alive with salamanders, wood frogs and spring peepers —  nature’s spring choir, singing the ancient song of new life. On the south side, the woods are mixed hardwoods, mostly oaks, with a rich understory of our native mountain laurel.

Soon, early wildflowers such as jack-in-the-pulpit and trout lily will raise their heads. The fresh, green leaves of skunk cabbage and false hellebore will unfold, seemingly overnight, in wet places.

And later, toward the end of May, the delicate pink and white of mountain laurel will spangle the hillsides along Route 940.

You probably never knew Alex and Lillian Kurmes, after whom the preserve is named, nor their daughter, who made this place possible. But knowing that the world still holds generous-hearted people like them, lovers and guardians of the natural world, can still fill you with gratitude — and hope.

Click Here to download an overview of the Kurmes Paradise Creek Nature Preserve.

If You Go

Information on visiting Kurmes, including a map of trails and parking areas, is on the Kurmes Paradise Creek Nature Preserve webpage. Trailheads are off Devil’s Hole Road and Phoebe Snow Road.

About 2.75 miles of trails (including both sides of the preserve) are moderately difficult, with roots, rocks, and some wet crossings. There are no facilities at trailheads.

Please pack out what you pack in. Leashed dogs of considerate owners are welcome. Tank Creek is designated an Exceptional Value coldwater fishery, and Yankee Run is a High Quality coldwater fishery — catch-and-release fishing permitted in season, with proper licenses.

A legacy private club hunts here in season. Hikers should wear fluorescent orange.

For more information on land conservation, upcoming events and how you can get involved, visit the Pocono Heritage Land Trust website.  Explore Our Nature Preserves.   Follow them on Facebook.  Click Here to sign up for email updates (bottom of page).

Founded in 1984, Pocono Heritage Land Trust is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the natural heritage of the Pocono Mountains region by conserving land and inspiring people to care for, enjoy, and explore their natural world.

[Posted: May 9, 2022]

5/16/2022