Cope's Ramble Trail

This 4.9-mile hike follows Woodbourne Forest’s longest trail, the blue-blazed Cope’s Ramble.  It begins at the picnic pavilion adjacent to the parking area, located 1 mile north of Dimock, PA on S.R. 29 (about 16 miles north of Tunkhannock, PA, and about 5 miles south of Montrose, PA.

Woodbourne Forest Preserve became the first property protected by The Nature Conservancy in Pennsylvania, when in 1956 Francis R. Cope, Jr. and his family, pioneers in the field of conservation, donated almost 500 acres to that organization.  Nestled in the heart of Susquehanna County, Woodbourne protects one of the few remaining examples of old-growth forest in eastern Pennsylvania, and harbors a delightful variety of wildlife and plants.  The spring woods are full of wildflowers such as painted trillium, wood sorrel, and gold thread. Mink, otters, bears, bobcats, and northern flying squirrels reside here, as do a variety of birds and nine species of salamanders.  The continued generosity of the Cope family, and further land purchases by The Nature Conservancy, have increased the preserve’s size to its current 654 acres.  A Stewardship Committee composed of dedicated volunteers manages the preserve.  With new trails built by the Keystone Trails Association (KTA) in 2006, Woodbourne boasts more miles of wilderness paths open to the public than any other site in Susquehanna County.  You can learn more at www.woodbourneforest.org.  Campfires and overnight camping are not permitted in this preserve.

Sturdy hiking shoes are recommended for this hike.  Proceed downhill from the pavilion into an open meadow.  A branch trail leads straight downhill through the field to an old-fashioned outhouse for those needing a rest stop.  The blue-blazed hiking trail angles down across the meadow to a break in a stone wall, which is typical of several you will see on this excursion.  At 0.2 mile you encounter a short side trail leading to an elevated viewing platform that offers a panorama of the wetlands below.  Your counter-clockwise route will eventually bring you back to this platform from the woods to the left, so continue straight downhill toward the water.  At 0.3 mile the yellow-blazed short nature trail branches off to cross an inlet to the swamp.  Stay on the blue- and orange-blazed route, which leads you through the widest non-forested portion of the preserve.

Back in the forest again, note the huge red oak beside the trail.  At 0.5 mile look uphill to the right at the fine example of a dry-laid fieldstone wall displaying Woodbourne’s trademark “coping” or “the soldiers’ course”, the top layer composed of rocks placed tightly and diagonally on edge.  At 0.7 mile the orange-blazed Woodruff’s Hill Trail departs sharply to the left.  Stay on the blue-blazed Cope’s Ramble Trail.  The route continues on a moderate uphill grade, then levels out just past some huge sedimentary rocks suitable as a resting or picnic area.  At 1.08 mile begin a descent to a hemlock forest sprinkled with some very large red oaks and black cherry trees.  Pass through a break in a stone wall at 1.3 mile, where the trail turns sharply north.  Soon you skirt a sizeable stand of shagbark hickories as the trail loops around and begins to descend steeply through a hemlock forest, then switches back sharply to the left at 1.7 mile.  You soon enter evidence of human influence, a stand of spruce trees planted in rows.  Cross Baker Road at 2.17 miles, and pass through another spruce stand.  After small stream crossings and some damp areas, the trail gradually gains ground.

At 2.4 miles, you may notice (depending on the season) wide patches of wild leeks, or ramps, which have a tasty but dominating flavor.  The trail continues its ascent, curving to the left as it rises to a plateau at 2.63 miles, passing a huge sugar maple.  You climb again on a steeper rise to the high plateau of these woods.  Take the extra time to walk to the clearing to the right to enjoy the only vista on this trail, a view to the north and east of typical Susquehanna County “Endless Mountains” landscape.

Descending from the plateau, at 2.82 miles, look back up to the right at a huge sedimentary rock with an enormous black cherry tree on top.  A few steps farther down the trail you pass an ash tree whose girth rivals that of the cherry.  The trail meanders gradually down through the forest, passing a variety of northern hardwood species as well as many Eastern Hemlocks, Pennsylvania’s State Tree.

At 3.25 miles the trail re-emerges on Baker Road by passing through a break in the stone wall that was recently reconstructed by KTA volunteers, who built it narrow enough to discourage trespassing vehicles.  Turn uphill (right) on Baker Road to find where Cope’s Ramble reenters the preserve on the left.  At 3.33 miles you cross an old wall then follow the trail as it bears right and descends to a dry gulch.  Soon you are hiking along the forest stream that drains the wetlands where your hike began.  Across the stream, high on the opposite bank, the Woodruff’s Hill Trail (orange blazes) parallels your route for now, but at 3.5 miles it descends the bank, crosses the stream, and joins Cope’s Ramble.

Follow the blue and orange blazes as your path crosses a fine example of a dry-laid fieldstone wall.  This wall is taller than most in this region, and is topped with the soldier’s course.  It is probably at least 150 years old, since barbed wire became very popular soon after it was patented in 1874.  Most fallen sections of these walls were caused by tree roots growing and expanding underneath the base stones.   When you pass through the opening, note that the orange-blazed trail leads departs to the left.  Follow the blue-blazed Cope’s Ramble.  At 3.6 miles, you cross another stone wall.  Notice the two cantilevered shelves carefully built into the wall.  Possibly this design was intended to prevent small livestock such as sheep from climbing on the wall and escaping the barnyard.  At 3.8 miles, note that the style of wall has changed.  Here is a well built narrow wall that is only one stone wide at the top.

Soon the route passes through a stand of beech trees, reaches a plateau at 4 miles, then begins a descent through an area rich with sizeable hemlocks.  At 4.18 miles look to your left to see one of the largest hemlocks in the preserve, although it is now dead and lying on the forest floor.  Take care not to disturb the fungus and other growth that is finding a home on top of this decaying log.  Just beyond this ‘grandfather hemlock’ you may notice a small fenced-in area (look for blaze-orange surveyor’s tape) known as a “deer exclosure”, constructed to observe what grows on the forest floor where deer cannot browse.  The trail now crosses a few dry runs and tributaries to the wetlands, and at 4.4 miles you see the edge of the swamp to your left.  At 4.5 miles follow the route down to the left to a giant white pine whose top has snapped off in a wind storm.  Soon you approach the viewing platform that you passed earlier.  Enjoy the panorama that a few extra feet of elevation afford.  Beyond the platform, follow the blazes uphill to the right to return to the pavilion and parking area.