Upper Yards Creek Reservior–Sunfish Pond, 8 sights is a 7.2-mile out-and-back near Shawnee on Delaware, PA. The route passes Sunfish Pond before reaching Upper Yards Creek Reservior at the turnaround, 3.6 miles in. It climbs 1,476 ft, with sections as steep as 23% grade. It scores 79/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi318 – 1,595 ft · steepest grade: 23%7.4 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Rockcores Trail 41.01737, -75.07021
Nearest town Shawnee on Delaware, PA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Upper Yards Creek Reservior–Sunfish Pond, 8 sights
7.2 mi · ▲ 1,476 ft · 3 hr 8 min
Elevation 318–1,593 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: Rockcores Trail · 41.01737, -75.07021
Weather Sep 7: sunrise 6:34 AM · sunset 7:25 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Rockcores Trail, heading W.
- 0.4 miSharp right, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading S.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto Garvey Springs Trail, heading SE.
- 0.5 miTurn right onto Appalachian Trail, heading W.
- 50 ftPass Sunfish Pond.
- 150 ftTurn left onto Buckwood Trail, heading SW.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto Sunfish Pond Fire Road/Buckwood Trail, heading S.
- 0.3 miBear right onto Buckwood Trail, heading SE.
- 0.6 miSharp left onto Mount Tammany Fire Road, heading S.
- 0.9 miSharp left onto Yards Creek Road, heading N.
- 150 ftReach Upper Yards Creek Reservior, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 150 ftSharp right onto Mount Tammany Fire Road, heading NW.
- 0.9 miSharp right onto Buckwood Trail, heading SW.
- 0.6 miBear left onto Sunfish Pond Fire Road/Buckwood Trail, heading N.
- 0.3 miTurn right onto Buckwood Trail, heading W.
- 0.3 miTurn right onto Appalachian Trail, heading NW.
- 150 ftTurn left onto Garvey Springs Trail, heading NE.
- 0.5 miTurn right onto Rockcores Trail, heading NW.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading E.
- 0.7 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
1% gravel1% dirt98% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 6:34 AMSunset 7:25 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.5 mi in (~27 min). Leave by 6:38 PM for the 7:25 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:54 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Rockcores Trail Trailhead
- Garvey Springs Trail & Rockcores Trail 3 mi · ▲ 1,120 ft
- Laurel Falls & Rockcores Trail 3.3 mi · ▲ 1,089 ft
- Buckwood Viewpoint–Sunfish Pond, 4 sights 4.1 mi · ▲ 1,047 ft
- Scenic Overlook - Delaware River and Reservoir–Garvey Springs Trail, 3 sights 4.5 mi · ▲ 1,271 ft
- Buckwood Viewpoint–Sunfish Pond, 6 sights 5.9 mi · ▲ 1,346 ft
- Dunnfield Creek Falls–Upper Yards Creek Reservior, 9 sights 14 mi · ▲ 2,375 ft
Get outside more
A wild hike near Shawnee on Delaware, emailed to you once a week.
Hikes near Shawnee on Delaware, Pennsylvania