A scenic township named after Fishing Creek
It's probably no surprise that Northeastern Pennsylvania’s Fishing Creek attracts outdoorsy residents seeking a rural lifestyle north of Bloomsburg. The township’s namesake creek provides natural scenery and fishing opportunities amid the area’s peaceful mountainous landscape. “If you like to be outdoors, there are numerous state parks with access to hiking, biking and four-wheeling,” says Realtor Angela Young with Century 21 Covered Bridges Realty, Inc. “With the Susquehanna River nearby and Fishing Creek, there’s a lot of kayaking and motorboating in the area. If you want to do something, there’s something to do.”
Properties with acreage, and reducing flood risk
Fishing Creek has entirely single-family homes, including ranch-style homes, farmhouses and cabins with large porches. Due to their proximity to Fishing Creek, many homes are elevated to reduce the risk of flooding. Most properties are on at least an acre, and buyers can often find land for sale to build their ideal homes from the ground up. Recent sale prices in Fishing Creek range from roughly $200,000 to $400,000.
Career and technical education in Central Columbia School District
Children in Fishing Creek attend the Central Columbia School District, which gets an overall A grade from Niche. They can start at the A-minus-rated Central Columbia Elementary School before continuing to A-rated Central Columbia Middle School and A-minus-rated Central Columbia High School. Students at Central Columbia High School can participate in career and technical education programs such as agricultural mechanization, engineering and education. Fishing Creek is 15 miles north of Bloomsburg, home to Commonwealth University’s Bloomsburg campus. The public university enrolls about 7,000 students each semester.
Historic bridges over Fishing Creek and Ricketts Glen State Park
Fishing Creek runs through the community, providing residents with peaceful scenery and fishing opportunities. The Historic East Paden Covered Bridge and the Historic Josiah Hess Covered Bridge both cross over Fishing Creek. They've been converted to contain picnic tables inside them, and there are also picnic tables in the grassy areas surrounding them. For overnight experiences, Wanna Ruf It Campground has tent and RV camping sites. “In northern Columbia County, we have Ricketts Glen State Park,” Young says. “It is just beautiful. It has all kinds of waterfalls – 20-plus waterfalls. It is located on Lake Ganoga. It’s a 13,000-acre state park with all kinds of hiking, fishing and camping. That is just such a wonderful resource.” Ricketts Glen State Park is 14 miles north.
Mountainside ice cream and a 24-hour farm market
On Fishing Creek’s south end, 487 Kold Kup is a casual restaurant serving American fare and ice cream, with outdoor seating offering scenic views of the surrounding mountains. For shopping, there’s Dollar General in Stillwater, at the center of Fishing Creek, and Forks Farm to the south, a local farm with a 24-hour store that sells farm-fresh eggs, meats, cheeses and other artisanal groceries. The closest bar to Fishing Creek is Diggers Diversion, a cozy dive with live music and pool tables 6 miles southwest.
15 miles away, Bloomsburg has nearest hospital
Pennsylvania 487 runs through Fishing Creek and connects to Bloomsburg, 15 miles south. The closest hospital to Fishing Creek, Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital, is there. When traveling out of town, residents can fly out of Lehigh Valley International Airport, 96 miles southeast, or Harrisburg International Airport, 101 miles southwest.
