Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 28

Shad, salmon, and eels were also inhabitants of the fresh and
pristine waters.
By the early 19th century, opportunistic industrialists
found something of great value in the 47-mile wilderness
along Pine Creek that is now designated the Pennsylvania
Grand Canyon. The pines and hemlocks were sought out
as ship masts. During the lumbering era, trees were cut and
floated downstream on Pine Creek to the Susquehanna
River and beyond to the Chesapeake Bay, where mills and
shipbuilding factories awaited.
Once the pines were gone, local lumbermen moved
on to the hardwoods of the forest. Sawmills dotted the
countryside. In 1883, the Jersey Shore, Pine Creek, and
Buffalo railroad was built along Pine Creek through the
bottom of the gorge to haul lumber, freight, and passengers
through the wilderness.
By the early 20th century, the entire area was clear-cut,
and the gorge was now bare. Erosion and landslides followed
as did fires. The land was barren and wasted.
One of the area's lumbermen, Leonard Harrison, had
a sawmill at Tiadaghton, a small railroad town located
partway through the most isolated portion of the Pine
Creek Gorge. The mill burned, and the town eventually
became a ghost town. Harrison was living in Wellsboro,
Tioga County, at the time, and was active there as a civic
leader. He helped construct the sandstone courthouse on
Main Street, rebuilt the historic Penn Wells Hotel after a
devastating fire, and assisted with many projects in the
borough including drawing up plans for what was to
ultimately become Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hospital
(now UPMC Susquehanna).
In 1906, Harrison bought 121 acres of land at the site of
the current Leonard Harrison State Park. Harrison wanted to
develop the area for tourism. He created the "Lookout" and
invited the public to visit.
In 1922, Harrison donated his picnic grounds to the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Over the following years,
the state slowly bought other lands, often abandoned lumber
companies in the gorge area, and those lands ultimately
became the Tioga State Forest located across the gorge from

Harrison's "Lookout." Now, the state forest encompasses
160,000 acres, and Leonard Harrison State Park on the east
rim of the canyon has grown to its current 585 acres nestled
among private lands.
The park saw many improvements during the Civilian
Conservation Corps (CCC) era. Its pavilions, comfort
facilities, and roads were all built by the "CCC Boys,"
members of the local CCC camps. Today, there is a bronze
statue of a CCC worker at the park that stands in tribute to
their contributions.
Through the years, the park and surrounding areas
continued to attract statewide and national attention.
According to Church Dillon, well-known Tioga County
author and naturalist, the area now has over 225 species
of wildflowers, plants, and trees. The forest is lush and
vibrant. There are scattered stands of old forest, but most
of the gorge is now second-growth trees that may be over
100 years old. The fall "leaf peeping" season is especially
popular because of the warm fall colors of the many
hardwoods that populate the canyon's sides.
Recreation is a popular activity. Pine Creek becomes wild
enough for a few weeks of river running by kayak, canoe, or
raft. By summer, the river is host to tubing activities.
Likewise, fishing in legendary Pine Creek is superb
during certain times of the year. Fall is the perfect time for
trout fishing, as the waters cool and rise from fall rains.
During the summer, warmwater fishing is popular, but trout
fishing is paramount during the spring and fall months. The
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) stocks
parts of the creek with trophy trout. Another area, south of
the park, is stocked by the Pennsylvania Brown Trout Club.
Various regulations exist across the length of Pine Creek
including Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only, Catch
and Release All Tackle, and conventional Commonwealth

The Leonard Harrison State Park entrance.

A fall day at Leonard Harrison State Park, Tioga County.

28

Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * November/December 2020	

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