Jim: Good morning from Promised Land State Park here in the beautiful Pocono Mountains. My daughter Prudence and I slept overnight here at Pickerel Point Campground at one of the oldest state parks in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Promised Land is steeped in history and has so much beauty and so much to do. We wanted to take you on a little tour of Promised Land as we explore state parks in the Poconos. Enjoy.

Midsummer – and Promised Land State Park is alive with activity.

Along the beach.
And along the trails.
Campsites nestled in the woods.
And tours highlighting the park's "New Deal Era" beginnings.

"Boots are on the ground. May 6th of 1933, here in Promised Land," said Environmental Educator Josh Heath.

This park has two lakes, cabins for rent, and some rich programming thanks to volunteers.
Promised Land really lives up to its name.

Jim: What's your personal connection with Promised Land?

Kara: I met my husband up here.

Jim: You did?

Kara: Yeah.

Kara Derry paddled on Promised Lake with me. She's part of the new "Friends of Promised Land" group that's supporting the park in a whole host of ways – including a duathlon in August aiming to become an annual event. For Kara and her husband Jim – this is home.

"And I fell in love with the park as much as I fell in love with him," said Derry. "We just got married this past December."

"It is very special. We all love it. Love it. That's why we are advocating strongly for the park and seeing how we can work in conjunction with the park management."

Promised Land has no shortage of volunteers – take "Art in the Park" for example.
For more than two decades, Shelly has led this program, using upcycled materials and kids' imaginations to foster a love of the natural world all around.

"We love the park. And we love the kids. You know what we do? You know what we do this for? I get hugs and hugs and smiles," said volunteer Shelly Linsinbigler.

Art in the Park – and programs like it at Promised Land – are free. There's even a Junior Park Ranger program complete with its own badge. One of the many ways families can spend their time amongst the 3,000 acres here.

"The summer, we think of it as, like our busy time, but we still get leaf peepers in the fall. We get, uh, ice fishermen in the winter time and people come in for cross country skiing," said Assistant Park Manager Sara Jade Woodsmith.

Woodsmith manages the park with an army of staffers and volunteers.

"We have a lot of dedicated people. People in the area, people who come up from, you know, and stay in the cabins for a long time. A lot of love in this park. We do a lot of things with our volunteers. They're amazing. Like, the Art in the Park has been running for about over 40 years. And, you know, we get like, 15 volunteers for different art projects with a different topic every week, and they really make it shine. It is an absolutely beloved program."

In addition to the popular programming — there are so many picturesque views.
Birdwatching from this view on Lower Lake is something special.

"We have different sorts of trails. We have some, you know, more intense hiking. And because we're surrounded by Delaware State Forest, if you wanted to go for a ten mile hike, you absolutely could," added Woodsmith. "But if you're looking for something shorter, you can go check out, you know, Little Falls Trail where we have, like, a waterfall. It's only half a mile to go out and back. You could do Conservation Island. It's pretty flat. It's a little more stroller friendly and you can walk that. So that's something that's a little more accessible to people."

Camping is also a big part of Promised Land.
Some campsites even accommodate horses. Others allow dogs.
There are spots for tents or campers.
And for those who want a roof over their heads – a dozen cabins in the Bear Wallow Colony… a throwback to a simpler time.

"So these are our cabins. They were built by the C.C.C." added Woodsmith. "You can see some of the old ironwork they did right in their own blacksmith shop. And these are original."

During our stay at Promised Land, we got camp set up at Pickerel Point.
Then got hungry — so we headed to Mountainhouse Tavern down the road a bit for wings, cheesesteaks and some cold ones.
By morning, the sunrise gave us some vibrant colors to wake up to.

It's the kind of scenery that folks like Kara know and love at this place called Promised Land.

"What's best about this lake is that if you listen, there are no gas powered boats allowed on this lake. Yeah, just the quiet electric. You can only go so fast. So you don't have the fear of the ripples or the loud noises from the engines," said Derry.

And before we close the book on exploring Promised Land State Park.

"So the park's been here a long time," said Heath.

A history lesson from Josh Heath on how this nearly century-old state park even came to be in the first place.

"In 1933, the C.C.C. were put here until July of 1941. But a bulk of what you guys still use today was created during those nine years."

The Masker Museum here is full of reminders of that time during the Great Depression.
When young men worked… and worked… to make something here.
Heath and others at Promised Land are ensuring that history remains an integral part of the park experience.

"Pretty much. Maybe some snacks. Maybe. Maybe a candy bar or two. Because the mess hall is not going to provide that. You know, they're going to make sure I gain some weight. So 2,020% was the average weight that was gained by C.C.C. men during the course of their enrollment."

"We have a whole museum dedicated to the boys who built this park. Um, they built the Bear Wallow Cabins, one of the pavilions. Uh, we have a couple of buildings. The museum itself is one of the original C.C.C. buildings. Um, and they built the entire road around the lake, North Shore Road and everything," said Woodsmith.

Everything that's man-made and nature's making all rolled up in the aptly named Promised Land.