Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania (8/27/2019)

Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Heading back home after the Buffalo visit, a stop to see the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, again on the recommendation of Tom T of Granite Farms Estates. Unfortunately we had gray skies today.

In Ansonia, PA we turned down Colton Road, then took
a left on Owassee Road; oh, no! a dirt and gravel road!

Owassee Road brought us to the banks of Pine Creek

Waterways in the area are lined with the invasive
Reynoutria japonica/Japanese Knotweed

Looking upstream

Looking downstream

Back on Colton Road with a stop to hike the Barbour Rock Overlook Trail.

Mystery nut

First peek into the Pine Creek gorge

Following a rim trail

Omphalotus olearius/Jack o' Lantern Mushroom

The Overlook

Looking downstream at Pine Creek, which has the
Pine Creek Rail Trail alongside on the left bank

The Jersey Shore, Pine Creek, and Buffalo Railway opened in 1883, following the creek through the gorge, to carry passengers and freight, and logs.

Zooming in on Pine Creek; the gorge is 76 km/47 miles long
and at this point it is 240 m/800 feet deep, but reaches its deepest
point at 440 m/1450 feet

Early logging stripped the gorge bare by the early 1900s, and there were wildfires, landslides and floods. A century later, the forests, and wildlife, are back.
Continuing on Colton Road, we entered Colton Point State Park, for another overlook.

View downstream from Colton Point State Park

Looking in the upstream direction

We returned back along Colton Road, drove through Ansonia, and headed along the opposite (east) side of Pine Creek to Leonard Harrison State Park.

Entrance to the Overlook

Looking straight down into the gorge, where there is a private home

Looking upstream from Leonard Harrison State Park

Zooming in on Pine Creek

Umm, is that the overlook over in Colton Point State Park?

Next: Wellsboro. PA.