History
In 1778, settlers of the Wyoming Valley fled into the dark mountains to escape the bloody onslaught of Iroquois Indians. According to Benson J. Lossing's "Our Country," many died in the dark swampy area "ever since known as the 'Shades of Death.'"
Features
Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of lost in translation) (Gordana Adamovic-Mladenovic
The Shades of Death area has many pine, hemlock and spruce trees with "the roots waxing lustily in deep beds of mold," according to "Seeing Pennsylvania" by John Thomson Faris.
Significance
In "Our Country," Lossing states, "The details of that day of destruction in the beautiful Wyoming Valley, and the horrors of the flight of the survivors, formed one of the darkest chapters in human history."
Development
According to "Carbon County" by Rebecca Rabenold-Finsel, a century after the massacre the Shades of Death would become known for the Sunnyrest Sanatorium, a health resort that sought to heal those with tuberculosis.
Hiking
Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Rick McCharles
Today, Hickory Run State Park marks the beginning of the Shades of Death Trail, a difficult 1.5 mile hike.
