Twin Lakes
Location: Upper Mount Bethel Township
Open: Sunrise to sunset.
Activities: Fishing, hiking, birdwatching, hunting.
Amenities: Presently undeveloped. A gated dirt road provides pedestrian access to Twin Lakes from Tott's Gap Road and a rough dirt walking trail encircles the lower lake. No restrooms.
Watershed: Martin's Creek
Directions: Located off Tott's Gap and Institute Roads, and National Park and Blue Mountain Drives.
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 40.939085, Longitude: -75.162824
Area: 544 acres
Owned by: Northampton County
Difficulty of Tails: Easy, but with unimproved surfaces.
Pets: Must be on a leash less than 6 feet in length.
Historical Interest
- Former properties of the Tott's Gap Medical Research Laboratory, which produced a wide range of medical research centered on the brain-body connection during the second half of the 20th century.
Environmental Features:
Extensive woodlands and wetlands; includes part of the largest concentration of nernal pools in Pennsylvania; rare, threatened and endangered species of plants and animals; glacial geology; abuts Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Located within the Minsi Lake Vernal Pools Natural Heritage Area and the Greater Minsi Lake Corridor Greenway.
Established: Northampton County acquired the land in 2004 and 2005 from the former Tott's Gap Medical Research Laboratory for Preservation of open space.
Future Plans: Develop a trail network connecting Twin Lakes to the Minsi Lake Wilderness Area and Bear Swamp Park to the south and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail Corridor to the north.