Famous Reading Outdoors

Famous Reading Outdoors (often shortened to FRO, and listed by some directories as Reading Anthracite Company) is a private riding park built on former anthracite coal land in Schuylkill and Northumberland counties in eastern Pennsylvania. The park says it holds roughly 20,000 acres, though the acreage depends on its leases and can change. It opened in August 2017 and welcomes dirt bikes alongside ATVs, UTVs, and full-size off-road vehicles. Expect a mix of wooded singletrack, open flats, steep hill climbs, rocky ridgelines, and low spots that collect mud pits, with old mine remains and ghost-town ruins along the way. The park describes the terrain as suitable for all skill levels, and it is not a dirt-bike-only place, so you will share the trails with four-wheeled machines.

The riding is split into separate tracts, each with its own parking lot. Burma and Darkwater are a mix of woods and open ground with plenty of mud pits. Locust Gap and Ashland Mountain South are mostly wooded, with little open ground for cruising, and Ashland is mountainous. Tower City is a separate trailhead farther west. Several older areas, including Ashland Mountain North, Coal Hill, St. Kieran's, and The Flats, are closed to the public.

Getting there

You must park only in the park's designated lots. The main entry, Lot #1 (Burma), is a wide spot on Burma Road, reached by following East Hancock Street east from the traffic light at Second Street in St. Clair for about seven tenths of a mile. Darkwater is off Route 61 on Darkwater Road, Locust Gap is off Route 54 on Marshall Road, Ashland South is at 500 South Hoffman Blvd. in Ashland, and Tower City is on Gold Mine Road. The membership office is at 200 Mahantongo Street in Pottsville. All railroad property is off limits, so stay clear of the tracks.

Fees, permits, and rules

This is a private park and you need an annual membership to ride. The park lists driver memberships at $300 for adults and $250 for minors, and passenger memberships at $70 for adults and $50 for minors. Memberships are bought online or at listed retail locations, and you print a temporary permit right away. Riders and passengers must be at least 12 years old. Dirt bikes need liability insurance, but the park says they do not need registration. Helmets (DOT or Snell), proper footwear, and no alcohol or drugs are required, and camping and fires are prohibited. Trial day passes are no longer offered, but guided tours are available for non-members. Township rules also apply, including an 86 dBA sound limit at 50 feet in Foster Township and lights required from half an hour after sunset. To enter the Borough of Minersville you must park at Darkwater and carry your pass.

When to ride

The park is open year-round to members, with posted hours that change seasonally, so check the website before you go. Hunting seasons overlap with riding, so wear hunter orange in the fall and winter. The park also hosts an annual event, Dirtstock, in early November.