Tannersville Cranberry Bog

The Tannersville Cranberry Bog is a sphagnum bog on the Cranberry Creek in Tannersville. It is a boreal bog found furthest south when east of the Mississippi river. Tamarack and black spruce trees can be found here, at the southern limit of their growth areas.

The Tannersville Cranberry Bog site was designated a National Natural Landmark in December 1974. It was purchased by The Nature Conservancy and the Conservation and Research Foundation in 1956. Like many bogs, its terrain presents an image of solidity, but a liquid mass of decaying peat lies beneath a six-inch layer of sphagnum and a network of supporting tree roots.

The call for preservation of Tannersville Cranberry Bog began with William A. Niering. As a child, Niering visited the bog as his uncle was its owner. Undoubtedly, Nierings childhood knowledge of the bog helped him in achieving his status of being a widely recognized authority on bog ecology.

The bog has provided practical benefits in leaving it in its’ natural state. During the Flood of 1955,  bridges downstream of the bog were spared from the massive damage done in much of the Poconos, thanks to the bog. This may be one reason The Nature Conservancy acquired the first 62.5 acres for protection in 1956.

Viewing The Tannersville Cranberry Bog

This bog may be viewed conveniently from a floating walkway. Public visitation to the land was not permitted until the 1980’s, when the Monroe County Conservation District negotiated access to the bog for purposes of public education. A floating boardwalk was constructed and expanded to 1,450 feet in 1993, which consists of treated lumber supported by floating barrels. Planks are now replaced as needed with a recycled plastic product.

Leaving the walkway is definitely not recommended when you are near the center of the Tannersville Cranberry Bog. The surface will not support the weight of an individual and they would sink into the decomposing matter of peat, possibly well above their knees in a substance that isn’t recommended for the nasal senses, in close proximity. Also growing throughout the bog is poison sumac. Those who constructed the walkway described moving through the area as crawling, not walking, due to the amount of heavy vegetation that grows just on the surface in many areas of the bog..

During spring months all fourth grade public school students in Monroe County are given the opportunity to visit the bog as a field trip. Parents should note that some poison sumac may be within arm’s reach of the walkway, and one fourth grader was hospitalized after intentional contact with it.

Visiting The Tannersville Cranberry Bog

Though the warnings about the hazards of Poison Sumac and the terrain may sound intimidating to some, know that staying to the provided walkways affords safety and enjoyment of the Tannersville Cranberry Bog.

Groups of visitors are allowed to visit on walks scheduled by the Monroe County Environmental Education Center, 8050 Running Valley Road, Stroudsburg, PA 18360, telephone (570) 629-3061. These walks occur on summer Wednesdays and Sundays, although more occasional winter walks are available. Access may also be granted by special permission of The Nature Conservancy at:

Pocono Mountain Office, P.O. Box 55, Long Pond Road, Long Pond, PA 18334, telephone (570) 643-7922).

Other trails in the upland woods adjacent to the bog are open to the public without special scheduling.

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