Louise Troutman walks us through the ForEvergreen Nature Preserve in Analomink. The trail is a mile-long loop, great for all ages and abilities, and open to the public every day from dawn to dusk.

“I really like this property because it has a wide, gravel road that goes all the way around and is mostly flat. We get anybody and everybody walking here,” explained Louise Troutman, executive director, Pocono Heritage Land Trust.

Stroud Township owns the preserve and rents the Brodhead Creek Heritage Center on-site to the Brodhead Watershed Association and Pocono Heritage Land Trust, two organizations dedicated to protecting the Poconos’ natural resources.

The Heritage Center not only serves as their offices but is also home to a museum, rotating art exhibits, public programs and events.

Don Baylor is an accomplished fly fisherman and passionate painter whose artwork is featured here. He also researched a display about the Brodhead Creek, known as the birthplace of American fly fishing, which is accessible to anglers from the preserve.

“I fish the Brodhead Creek all over, but this stretch is one of my favorite spots because I helped get it established as a year-round, non-stocked wild trout fishery. It produces some beautiful, wild brown trout and rainbows,” Don said.

In addition to casting a line in the creek, the preserve is also great for bird watching.

During your walk on the pet-friendly trail, take a rest and enjoy unobstructed views of a nearby bald eagle’s nest. While none nested here this year, we were lucky enough to spot two eagles on a different part of the preserve.

“This is a good spot because we also have beavers and muskrats that you’ll see. There's so much wildlife here,” Louise added.

The nature preserve was once the Evergreen Golf Club affiliated with the former Penn Hills Honeymoon Resort, a renowned getaway for couples from all over the world. The iconic resort and golf course were connected by a bridge over the Brodhead.

The golf course holds a special meaning to PTN’s Brianna Strunk, who remembers being in the golf cart as her grandfather played a round of golf here. In fact, an old photo shows her grandfather at the Evergreen Golf Club standing next to Whitey Ford, the famous New York Yankees pitcher and Hall of Famer, who owned two homes in the Poconos and played at the golf course.

While the property has been reclaimed by nature, signs of its previous life remain, such as an old lightning structure along the trail and the Heritage Center itself, renovated from the original clubhouse.

“If you look closely, you'll see some sand over there where a sand trap was and pond areas where paddle boating once took place. There are some indications of what it used to be,” Louise pointed out.

Don also remembers the early days of this property, The Evergreen Golf Club now the ForEvergreen Nature Preserve. He's proud to share his knowledge about the Brodhead Creek with all who visit, whether it's for the water, walking, wildlife, or workshops.

“The Brodhead is probably the most historic place in the country, in terms of fly fishing. In the 1800s and first half of the 1900s, almost every angling writer and significant angler, including four presidents, Gifford Pinchot, and Broadway stars came here to fish the Brodhead,” Don said.

A place where nature is 'taking its course.'