Locust is a rural community in the Susquehanna River Valley
Northeastern Pennsylvania’s Locust is a rural, small-town community south of Bloomsburg, attracting residents looking for scenic farmhouses in the rolling hills of the Susquehanna River Valley. Farm markets in the area provide residents with access to fresh produce, and a race track, a nearby amusement park and campgrounds with swimming pools offer them plenty of things to do. “Locust is similar to surrounding areas like Mount Pleasant in that it is country and rural, but the population there is 1,459, so it’s a little bit more dense,” says Realtor Angela Young with Century 21 Covered Bridges Realty, Inc. “They’re known for having Ideal Park, which is a large campground, and the Numidia Dragway.”
Historic and acreage homes
Locust has Victorian homes, farmhouses, ranch-style homes and land for sale. “You’re going to find a mix of half-acre lots, smaller subdivisions and large parcels being one to two acres, and above that, the farms,” Young says. “It’s probably an even mix of all that.” Recent sales prices range from $80,000 to $290,000, and land listings typically range from around $5,000 to $130,000.
Career education in Southern Columbia Area School District
Students in Locust can attend schools in Southern Columbia Area School District. G.C. Hartman Elementary School gets a B-plus rating from Niche, Southern Columbia Area Middle School receives a B, and Southern Columbia Area High School gets a B-minus. Southern Columbia Area High School’s three career academies focus on agriculture, childcare and education.
Numidia Dragway, Ideal Park and Knoebels Amusement Resort
Locust’s biggest attraction is Numidia Dragway, a drag strip that hosts car races from April through October. The community also has two campgrounds, Ideal Park and Springbrook Family Campground. Ideal Park is an RV park with a fishing lake and a pool that’s open to the public. Springbrook Family Campground has a swimming pool, game room and activities like scavenger hunts, trivia nights and pool tournaments. Locust is 8 miles east of Knoebels Amusement Resort, a free-admission amusement park where roller coasters are surrounded by the rolling hills and trees of the Susquehanna River Valley. The park has campsites, swimming pools and golf courses in addition to roller coasters.
Local restaurants and additional options in Bloomsburg
Locust has a family-owned pizzeria, a plant nursery, a mini-mart and a farm market. Two miles west, Ponduce Farms has a market where visitors can buy produce, baked goods and deli items, as well as a restaurant that serves breakfast and lunch with farm-fresh ingredients. Nine miles north, Bloomsburg has larger grocery and retail stores like Walmart Supercenter, Weis Markets and Lowe’s Home Improvement, as well as chain restaurants like Cracker Barrel, Olive Garden and Denny’s.
Between major airports and cities
Locust is located 9 miles south of Bloomsburg, 68 miles northwest of Allentown, 71 miles northeast of Harrisburg and 121 miles northwest of Philadelphia. The closest medical center is Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital, 10 miles north. When traveling out of town, residents can fly out of Lehigh Valley International Airport, 76 miles southeast, or Harrisburg International Airport, 78 miles southwest.
