By Ad Crable, Bay Journal
Miller Mountain, the last privately owned, freestanding mountain in Pennsylvania, will not be a ski resort or junkyard. Nor will it carry a bypass around the Susquehanna River town of Tunkhannock, which it has long watched over.
In late December, Pinchot State Forest took ownership of the 2,500 acres of mostly forested land and opened them for hiking, camping, photographic vistas, mountain biking, hunting, wildlife management and other passive recreational uses that are the mission of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. As with other state forests, sustainable timber harvesting will also be allowed.
Part of the vast Appalachian Mountains, Miller Mountain is the highest peak in the area, at 2,216 feet. Just west of the Pocono Plateau, it serves as the eastern gateway to the state’s Endless Mountains and can be seen from almost anywhere in the region.
The mountain stands out because it is not attached to any ridge. “I feel its biggest attraction is it’s a landscape level acquisition. It’s not half a mountain. It’s like a sugar bowl sitting on its own,” said Nicholas Lylo, district forester of Pinchot State Forest.
And, added Timothy Latz, assistant district forester, it’s “one-stop shopping” for a wide variety of habitats.
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