Kirby Park walking track... open, public? (Wilkes-Barre, Back Mountain: theater, high school, college)

[A.Typical.Girl]

Yep, it's me again. Visiting my mum through the weekend (perhaps longer). Many years ago, Kirby Pk had a walking/running track that was open to the public. I recall driving through the park (off Market St) to park in the back & I could walk to the track to walk/run on. It was nice & cushiony... as it was made of rubber, I believe.

With Covid (& the years since I've been on their track), I'm unsure if I can now walk on the track? I'm unsure if parks are closed here.

I was recently living in Tampa, where only so many were allowed on the beach, so you had to log onto a website & register (for lack of a better word) to visit the beach.

Restrictions in PA don't seem to be as strict as they were in FL or TX (where I've lived for the last 3-mos). I'm unsure if the track is still open to the public (if I'm not mistaken, it was for use of King's College athletes, but the public could use it as well... perhaps I'm not recalling that correctly) & if all is well, can I walk, but just keep 6' distance from the walker ahead?

I looked up info on a W-B/Kingston city site, but the info is all from March (from before the lockdown started) & I'm just not finding timely info.

Any help is appreciated. Sure, I can walk on the sidewalks, but, I prefer to run on a track & would like to begin on Friday.

TY very much!

[Wells5]

I don't recall any running track in Kirby Park. Years ago many joggers used to run along the tracks of the Wilkes-Barre Connecting Railroad which runs through Kirby Park and is now part of the Norfolk Southern Railroad and is very busy. Some even attempted to cross the "Gantlet Bridge," which had no fencing but now does.


https://www.flickr.com/photos/hankrogers/8608168028/


Why not use the "Back Mountain Trail?"

[theatergypsy]

I remember the running track. My late husband used to walk it following a lung surgery. That was somewhere in the 90s.

Our family spent a lot of time in Kirby Park when the kids were small; starting in the mid-70s but it's been many a year since I personally visited.

Couldn't tell you if the track is still there.

[A.Typical.Girl]

Originally Posted by Wells5

I don't recall any running track in Kirby Park. Years ago many joggers used to run along the tracks of the Wilkes-Barre Connecting Railroad which runs through Kirby Park and is now part of the Norfolk Southern Railroad and is very busy. Some even attempted to cross the "Gantlet Bridge," which had no fencing but now does.


https://www.flickr.com/photos/hankrogers/8608168028/


Why not use the "Back Mountain Trail?"

I don't know what that is, but Kirby is only 2-mi away. Tomorrow, I'll just drive over, even though it's supposed to be raining... I'll walk anyway. If there's no track, I'll just walk through the park.

I was just wondering if parks are open... I went into a market today & they had arrows so that you could only walk in 1 direction... the exit was a different door from the entrance. I haven't seen that before & I've been to/through 8+ states over the passed few months. That's why I though you might have stricter restrictions here in NEPA.

Oh, well, I'll find out tomorrow & report back.

[A.Typical.Girl]

Originally Posted by theatergypsy

I remember the running track. My late husband used to walk it following a lung surgery. That was somewhere in the 90s.

Our family spent a lot of time in Kirby Park when the kids were small; starting in the mid-70s but it's been many a year since I personally visited.

Couldn't tell you if the track is still there.

Yes, I was walking on it in the 90s, too. I'll visit tomorrow & just check it out. If I'm not supposed to be there, I'm sure before I get chased away, they'll be kind, given my out of state plates.

TY both.

[A.Typical.Girl]

I tried to walk at Kirby today around 3pm. Something more than a football game was going on... the field was filled with players (high school or college, I don't know), but there had to have been 80+ of them. They all had clean uniforms (as if they hadn't played a game) & were standing shoulder to shoulder. Maybe some awards ceremony? I may remember this wrongly, but I believe some jerseys were blue & others red.

There were well over 200 spectators. I haven't seen that many people in Kirby since the old days when the Armory used to host the circus.

I drove to the back parking lot & there wasn't a spare space. 2 cars were parked on Market St., but from the lack of signage, I had no idea if I should be parking there, so I didn't.

I couldn't see where the track was, but it was chilly & I just wasn't motivated enough to drive around to look for a space & walk around, so I went to a laundromat down the road & did laundry instead.

Maybe tomorrow or Mon I'll try again, but in the meantime, I'll just walk on the sidewalks... I'm in Luzerne & the corner of Market & Wyoming is about 1-mi away, so I'll just walk to there & back for now. If I make it to the track before I leave the area, I'll post back.

[A.Typical.Girl]

Originally Posted by Wells5

I don't recall any running track in Kirby Park. Why not use the "Back Mountain Trail?"

Hey, Wells... Still haven't made it back to Kirby... I got so busy with interviewing, I forgot all about it.

BUT, I did walk the Back Mtn Trail a couple of days ago. I didn't realize it began walking distance from my mum's house... I thought it was in Back Mtn, PA.

Anyway... it was a lovely walk on a 74-degree day. There weren't many walking... I did pass lots of older folks wearing masks (I don't wear one when exercising, unless I come close to someone else) & lone guys running. Leaves are beginning to change, but plenty are on the ground, too... made it a bit slippery. Nice place... I'll go again tomorrow. It will be 11-degrees cooler, so it will be a nice walk.

I took a few pics & posted them in a C-D album. I forgot how to copy pics here... but, I'll try.

https://www.city-data.com/forum/membe...luzerne-pa.jpg

TY again for the suggestion.

[DavidWebb]

Originally Posted by A.Typical.Girl

I took a few pics & posted them in a C-D album. I forgot how to copy pics here... but, I'll try.

Nice pic.....