Minsi Lake Corridor Greenway
Minsi Lake Corridor Greenway is a 1,100 acre park, with hiking trails, picnic areas, woodlands, wetlands and a 117-acre lake for public fishing and boating. The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission (PFBC) manages the lake and its dam, spillway and outlet structure. Northampton County Parks & Recreation manages the parkland around the lake. Facilities include two paved boat launches, two parking lots, two picnic areas and two trails. The Lake Trail runs about two miles through the woods around the north side of the lake, connecting the east and west shore parking lots. The Dam Trail is over one-half-mile long and runs from the west shore parking lot through the west shore picnic area and along the dam crest to the spillway at the east end of the dam. Portable toilets are typically available in spring and summer.
Location: Upper Mount Bethel Township
Open: Sunrise to sunset.
Activities: Hiking, fishing, birdwatching, boating (electric motors only), canoeing/kayaking, hunting.
Amenities: Picnic tables & grills, benches, trails, boat launches, boat mooring area, fishing piers. Portable toilets are available from late spring to early fall.
Watershed: Martin's Creek
Directions: Lake Minsi, Blue Mountain & East Shore Drives.
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 40.912380, Longitude: -75.178502
Area: 1,100 acres Corridor Greenway, including a 117-acre lake.
Owned by: PA Fish & Boat Commission (PFBC) and leased to Northampton County.
Difficulty of Trail: Easy, but wet & muddy in places.
Pets: Must be on a leash less than 6 feet in length.
Historical Interest:
- PFBC built Minsi Lake in 1970 for public recreation.
- Northampton County has leased the land around Minsi Lake as part of the County Parks System since 1975.
- Site of Poliskiewicz Trout Hatchery from 1960-1963.
Environmental Features: Largest lake in Northampton County; extensive woodlands & wetlands; includes part of the largest concentration of vernal pools in Pennsylvania, with rare, threatened and endangered species of plants and animals; glacial geology; East Fork Martin's Creek drains into Minsi Lake. Located within the Minsi Lake Vernal Pools Natural Heritage Area and the Greater Minsi Lake Corridor Greenway.
Established: Minsi Lake was constructed by PFBC in 1970 and first leased to the County in 1975.
Executive Summary
Final Plan
Appendix – Final Plan
Current Projects:
- The PA Department of Environmental Protection deemed the dam at Minsi Lake structurally deficient and the lake was drained in 2017. Over 5,000 pounds of fish and more than 180 turtles were relocated elsewhere. PFBC has budgeted $4 million to rebuild the dam with a spillway capable of withstanding a maximum flood event. The project is currently scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2019.
- The County, Friends of Minsi Lake & PFBC will construct 861 fish and turtle habitat structures at the lake in 2018-'19 to improve the fishery, fishing success and turtle basking habitat.
- Realign Lake Trail closer to Minsi Lake.
Future Plans: Replace, renovate and rebuild decades-old park amenities and infrastructure; build new recreation and park facilities; and make Minsi Lake an accessible recreation area for everyone throughout the region—opening up access to all our community members, regardless of their physical abilities.