Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 27
Leonard Harrison State Park
is a Destination to See
TIOGA COUNTY
Leonard Harrison
State Park
by Linda Stager
photos by the author
The cold winter wind howls and stings my face. Its bitter
coldness bites into the skin on my hands and my fingers, even
while wearing warm gloves. I feel the familiar sense of my
fingers starting to numb.
But, I do not move away. This is where I want to be today.
The scene is magnificent as it lifts my spirits. It does not matter
when I visit this place; it is simply good for my soul. This scene
is one of the most sought out destinations in Pennsylvania.
This place is the overlook at Leonard Harrison State Park.
The overlook is a tiny fenced-in concrete platform perhaps
24- by 10-feet that clings to the cliffs on the rim of the Pine
Creek Gorge. From here, visitors may gaze north or south for a
spectacular panoramic view of the remote, isolated wilderness
known as the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon. Across the gorge,
the overlooks at Colton Point State Park, a sister park on the
west rim of the gorge, are barely seen.
The Pine Creek Gorge here is almost 4,000-feet wide (a little
more than ¾-mile) and 800-feet deep (.15 mile). In places, it is
almost 1,000-feet deep. But, all through the gorge, Pine Creek,
the largest "creek" in the country and one of Pennsylvania's
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designated "Scenic
Rivers," runs through
the bottom, separating
the gorge into two isolated,
wooded, and divided areas.
The Pine Creek Gorge was designated a National Natural
Landmark in 1968, and its 12,163 acres is also protected as a
Pennsylvania State Natural Area. The rocks are estimated to
have been around for about 400 million years, but the gorge
itself was carved about 20,000 years ago during the last Ice
Age. It is a geological landmark, formed by water erosion and
cut through five major rock formations.
In its early years, previous to the human ecological
destruction eras, the area was 85% hemlock and pines,
with the rest of the trees being hardwood. It was said to be
the home to a herd of 12,000 American bison. There were
also herds of elk and some of its other wildlife inhabitants
included the Pennsylvania panther, wolves, wolverines,
and lynx.
In 1794, two early explorers found the northern end
of the gorge and followed Pine Creek to explore the areas
along the early Native American walkway. They found a
lush wilderness and a creek full of trout and other fish.
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * November/December 2020
27
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - Cover1
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - Cover2
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 3
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 4
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 5
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 6
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 7
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 8
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 9
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 10
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 11
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 12
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 13
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 15
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 16
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 27
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - Cover3
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - Cover4
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