Community Profile

Summary

Lake Ariel is a village in Lake Township, Wayne County, Pennsylvania. Though originally a small town with only a few farms, workers and businesses were attracted to the area when the Pennsylvania Coal Company built its Gravity Railroad. In the late 19th and early 20th century, Lake Ariel Park was a major tourist area with a pavilion for picnics and dancing, airplane rides, boating and swimming, and an amusement park. Hurricanes and hard winters closed the park down in the 1950s, but some local, family-owned businesses have stood the test of time. Lake Ariel has a strong sense of community, with an active, multi-generational Nature club dedicated to preserving the natural beauty and ecological health of the lake. The Nature club volunteers help maintain the lake and the surrounding area, pulling overgrown lily pad roots out of the swamp, collecting trash from the lake, planting native plants, and putting out bird nesting boxes. Many events take place on the lake, such as tadpole and perch releases, sunrise paddling trips, and educational demonstrations featuring birds, macroinvertebrates, and amphibians. Lake Ariel achieved certification within one year.