Prompton Lake is a three-hundred acre reservoir near the town of Prompton in Pennsylvania. Created by the damming of the Lackawaxen River, the reservoir provides flood control for three separate communities in the surrounding area. There is no Corps campground at the lake or in the two-thousand acre Prompton State Park which borders it, so Prompton Lake is for day-use recreational activities only. The closest campgrounds to Prompton Lake for RV camping are in the Lackawanna State Park thirty minutes drive away.
It's often said that good things come in small sizes and that's totally true about Prompton Lake. It's not the largest reservoir in the state of Pennsylvania by a long way, but there's still plenty of things to do there, which makes it worth a visit. With low wooded hills all around it's a prettily scenic reservoir for participating in some outdoor activities too. There are over twenty-six miles of hiking trails running around the lake and through the state park, which are a pleasure to explore. There are prime fishing and hunting opportunities during the appropriate seasons, as well as good wildlife viewing if you prefer to spot rather than catch. Boating is also permitted on the lake so long as you hold the required permit for your craft.
Prompton State Park and Prompton Lake are open to visitors all year round. Go in summer to play a game of eighteen-hole disc golf on the park's course. Or if there's snow on the ground, go sledding and cross country skiing. Though it has to be said, one of the best things to do at Prompton Lake is take a picnic there in the Fall. Sit by the lakeside when the leaves on the trees have turned to gold with some sandwiches and a thermos of coffee, and you'll have found a little piece of heaven in the state of Pennsylvania you'll probably be reluctant to share with anyone else.
Prompton Lake is tucked away in the north-eastern corner of the state of Pennsylvania half an hour's drive from the city of Scranton. If you've been over in the west having a look at the waterfalls in the Ricketts Glen State Park, you'll need to head in the direction of Wilkes-Barre where you can join the I 81 to Scranton followed by the US 6 from there to get to the lake. It's a decent run on main highways that shouldn't take you more than an hour and a half. To enter into the state park where the day-use parking area is located, you turn off the US 6 onto the PA 170 - Creek Drive at the first junction.
If you're traveling to Prompton Lake after spending a few days fishing in the lakes of the Harriman State Park in Orange County, you'll be on the road for about an hour and forty minutes if you take the I 84 through Milford and Wilsonville. It's an easy drive so if you have time, take a detour before you get as far as Milford and head into the High Point State Park rather than past it. Drive through the park and up to the two-hundred and twenty foot tall High Point Monument. Climb up to the top of the monument, dedicated to all war veterans, to see the incredible views of the Pocono and Catskill Mountains from there. You won't regret stopping.
There is a paved parking area off Creek Road close to the dam. There are also several unpaved parking areas distributed along Creek Road which runs along the Prompton Lake shoreline.
Lackawanna State Park Campground is the closest option for RV camping at Prompton Lake. There are sixty-eight campsites at the park, which are a combination of standard and non-electric. Some of the pitches can cater for rigs up to forty foot in length, while the rest are either for twenty or thirty foot long RVs. Some of the campsites are pet-friendly, but not all.
The campground has a full range of amenities, many of which are fully accessible. On-site, you'll find flush toilets, showers, water hook-ups, dump stations, and an environmental learning center. The campground has a boat launch, fishing pier, and a pool. Reservations may be made anywhere from eleven months to three days in advance.
Prompton Lake is a fantastic place to go hiking. There a network of over twenty-six miles of trails around the lake that suit all fitness levels of walkers. Each trail is defined by different colored markers. Set out from near the dam on the Hemlock Trail and you'll be on a two-mile trek through the woods along the lakeshore which eventually links with the High Ledge Trail. To know which trail you're on and where it's going or what trail it links to, download a trail map from the Pennsylvania State Parks website before you go. It'll save you getting lost when you get there.
Prompton Lake attracts boaters who like to sail under canvas, as in the afternoons there can be some decent enough wind blowing to send them skimming over the lake at speed. The lake is a good size for exploring with kayak, canoe, paddleboard or in any small craft with an engine. Boaters should be aware that while motorized boats are allowed on the lake engine size is restricted to 10 HP and all crafts, motorized or not, need to have the correct permits. There is only one boat ramp at Prompton Lake on the west shore. It's about ten minutes' drive further along Creek Road (PA 170) than the dam. There is unpaved parking there where you can pull in with your vehicle and boat trailer.
There's no better place than Prompton Lake for a quiet spot of fishing. The reservoir is good for both shore and boat fishing all year round. Though the lake isn't restocked often, there's a bountiful population of fish life, so landing a decent catch isn't too big a problem. At Prompton Lake you can fish for pickerel, bluegill, small and largemouth bass, crappie, and yellow perch. While they're not trophy fish size, they'll keep you busy when you're reeling them in.
Prompton Lake is the ideal location for mountain biking. Although the trail system at the lake is multi-use, very few hikers make full use of the facility so you may well be the only one using the tracks. Join the East Shore Trail on Beech Grove Road and you'll have four and a half miles to blaze along. It's the longest trail, but there are two more that both come in at three and a half miles each, the Orchard Trail and the West Shore Trail, so there's plenty of interesting ground to cover.
If you're passing by Scranton, drop in at the Electric City Trolley Museum for a look at some transportation from a bygone era. The electric railway museum houses artifacts and interactive exhibitions pertinent to the industry as well as early twentieth-century trolley cars. From Thursday to Sunday you can take a ride on the old line in the trolley through the Wyoming Valley.
Head into the depths of the earth at the Lackawanna Coal Mine Museum. Just as the miners did before the mine closed down in the mid-1960s, you can ride a mine car down to a depth of two hundred and fifty feet. At the bottom, you can explore several tunnels while listening to informative narration from a guide who'll give you the rundown on lots of fascinating facts about what it was like to be a miner when the mine was in production.
