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Pennsylvania's Grand Canyon: Pine Creek Gorge

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Pennsylvania's Grand Canyon: Pine Creek Gorge Pennsylvania’s Grand Canyon: Pine Creek Gorge It’s not the “Grand Canyon,” but it Pennsylvania’s name-sake. According to geotime.org, Located in north-central Pennsylvania, the 47 mile--long gorge was scoured into the landscape by the flow of Pine Creek over the past 350 million years. Now surrounded by nearly a million acres of Pennsylvania state forest and parkland, the Pine Creek Gorge plummets 1400 feet from the rim to its deepest point, exposing rock from the Paleozoic. The sandstone, siltstone, mudstone and shale that form the valley can be seen along its many trails to the bottom of the gorge, alternating in gently inclined layers of gray, red, brown and green. Unlike Arizona’s Grand Canyon, however, the Pine Creek Gorge is quite wet, with waterfalls cascading down the sheer faces of bedrock into small pools and then into the flowing river below. Along the canyon walls, hard sandstone supports precipitous cliffs that reach out over the gorge and invite the adventurous to an exciting view. Though modest as rivers go, Pine Creek carries with it a long history. More than 20,000 years ago, it ran in a northeasterly direction from its headwaters near modern-day Ansonia, Pa. As the continental Laurentide glacier advanced from the Hudson Bay area, the ice, and the debris it brought with it, blocked the creek and formed a natural dam. Eventually, the dam overflowed as glacial meltwater cut through the drainage divide to the south, reversing the course of the creek. Over the millennia, the glacial meltwater and the flow of the creek cut the deep ravine that exists today. The Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania comprises two state parks at the northern end of the gorge. Colton Point State Park is on the western rim and Leonard Harrison State Park is on the eastern rim. At the bottom of the Canyon is the Pine Creek Trail that extends 45 miles. It was once a former railway system that transported coal from Pennsylvania to New York. Now, a hiker‐bike trail and horseback riding section that stretches and covers part of the northern end. Pine Creek Gorge, geologically speaking, is in the Deep Valleys section of the Appalachian Plateaus physiographic province. There are several scenic lookouts: Harrison Lookout and Colton Lookout. The deepest gorge extends 1,500 feet. For water enthusiasts, check the West Rim Trail below regarding floating Pine Creek. Pine Creek is recognized as a National Natural Landmark. The parks owe much to the Civilian Conservation Corps (1933‐1942). The Corps was a public work relief program for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18 to 35. The Corps constructed or upgraded more than 800 parks nationwide. Pine Gorge Creek area includes two state parks that the CCC contributed much to the parks’ development. At one point there were 11 camps in the Pine Creek Watershed. The CCC workers did tree planting, built fire towers, fire trails, fought forest fires and did other park renovations. This photo program shares a visit to both Colton and Leonard Harrison State Parks. acuri.net John R. Vincenti Pennsylvania’s Grand Canyon: Pine Creek Gorge Sources: http://pawilds.com/asset/pennsylvania‐grand‐canyon/, http://www.geotimes.org/oct07/article.html?id=Travels1007.html, http://www.docs.dcnr.pa.gov/cs/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_20032495.pdf, (West Rim Trail) http://www.docs.dcnr.pa.gov/cs/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_002046.pdf, vhttp://www.docs.dcnr.pa.gov/cs/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_003759.pdf, https://visitpa.com/pa/wellsboro/history‐heritage, http://pacanyon.com/What_to_Do.html, https://pennwells.com/things‐to‐do/activities/pa‐grand‐canyon/, https://www.traillink.com/trail‐history/pine‐creek‐ rail‐trail/, http://www.interestingpennsylvania.com/2016/03/pa‐grand‐canyon‐natural‐wonder‐pine.html, and http://paconservationheritage.org/stories/the‐civilian‐conservation‐corps‐ccc‐1933‐1942/. .
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