Leonard Harrison State Park

On the east rim of the canyon, the 585-acre Leonard Harrison State Park has modern facilities, a visitor center and the most famous scenic views of the canyon. On the other side of the canyon is Colton Point State Park. Leonard Harrison is a featured park, October, in the 2009 Pennsylvania State Parks Calendar.

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Directions - Weather  - Recreation  - Trails  - Winter Report  - Environmental Education  - Calendar of Events  - Accessibility  - History  - Grand Canyon of PA  - Nearby Attractions  - Volunteers  - Rules and Regs  - In an Emergency  - Contact Us  - Downloadables and Maps

Park Advisories

Directions

To reach the 585-acre Leonard Harrison State Park on the eastern rim, take PA 660 west from Wellsboro for ten miles. DMS: 41o41’52.442” N 77o27’5.337” W DD: 41.698 N 77.451 W On the Downloadables and Maps page is a directions map.

Recreation

Hiking  - Picnicking  - Fishing  - Hunting  - Wildlife Watching  - Camping

Camping: flush toilets and hot showers
The campground is open from the second Friday in April until the third Sunday in October. Picnic tables, fire rings, showers, flush toilets and a sanitary dump station are provided. Some sites have electricity.

Explore the campground map.

Explore camping for more information.

Make a reservation

Fishing: Fishing is available to those visitors who wish to make the long, steep hike to the bottom of the canyon to Pine Creek. Species include trout, smallmouth bass and panfish. Nearby trout streams include Marsh Creek, Stoney Fork Creek, Asaph Run, Straight Run and Four-Mile Run, which is along the Turkey Path Trail. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission regulations apply.

For complete information on fishing rules and regulations in Pennsylvania, visit the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Web site.

Hiking: 4.6 miles of trails
The trails traverse very rugged terrain, passing close to many steep cliffs, and may have slippery surfaces. Stay on designated trail surfaces and wear appropriate footwear.

Do not overestimate your ability or stamina; think “Safety First” and take your time to enjoy your experience. Avoid the temptation to get on rock overhangs for a better view. Stay behind the railings and fences.

Turkey Path Trail: 2 miles down and back up
This difficult trail descends one mile to the bottom of Pine Creek Gorge. Please be aware that the canyon is a wilderness area and you must be prepared for such travel if you decide to hike on our trails. Help us keep the erosion to a minimum by staying on the trail and not taking shortcuts. Not only will you risk serious injury, but will trample fragile vegetation. It is a down and back trail. There is no bridge across Pine Creek at the bottom. A beautiful vista, one-half mile down the Turkey Path Trail, was constructed by the Youth Conservation Corps in 1978.

Shortly after the vista, there is a scenic waterfall along the path on Little Four-Mile Run. Major improvements on the Turkey Path Trail, including steps, observation decks and hand rails were completed by the Pennsylvania Conservation Corps in 1993.

Overlook Trail: 0.6- mile
This loop takes you to Otter View, a vista looking south.

Pine Creek Trail: The 57-mile Pine Creek Trail is a multi-use trail for hiking, bicycling, and cross-country skiing. Located at the bottom of the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon, one mile of this trail is in Leonard Harrison and Colton Point state parks. Horseback riding is only permitted on the dirt access road immediately beside the Pine Creek Trail for a nine-mile length from Ansonia to Tiadaghton. Horseback riding is not permitted on the limestone gravel trail. The Horseback trailhead is along Marsh Creek Road near the junction of US 6 and PA 362 at Ansonia.

The opportunities for sightseeing are endless. Trail users can view dramatic rock outcrops, waterfalls, and wildlife like, eagle, osprey, coyote, deer, wild turkey, heron, river otter, black bear and many others. Diverse plant life, scattered old-growth timber, historic pine and spruce plantations, and several foundations from the Civilian Conservation Corps era can be found along the trail.

Picnicking: Nearly 100 picnic tables (seven of which are covered), charcoal grills, restrooms, drinking water and trash bins are available. Schloder Pavilion can be reserved for a fee. If unreserved, the pavilion is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Make a reservation

Hunting and Firearms: About 250 acres of Leonard Harrison and 100 acres of Colton Point are open to hunting, trapping and the training of dogs during established seasons. Common game species are deer, turkey, rabbit, pheasant and squirrel. Hunting is also available in adjacent Tioga State Forest.

Hunting woodchucks, also known as groundhogs, is prohibited. Dog training is only permitted from the day following Labor Day through March 31 in designated hunting areas. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Pennsylvania Game Commission rules and regulations apply. Contact the park office for accessible hunting information.

Use extreme caution with firearms at all times. The park is used by other visitors during hunting seasons. Firearms and archery equipment may be uncased and ready for use only in authorized hunting areas during hunting seasons. In areas not open to hunting or during non-hunting seasons, firearms and archery equipment shall be kept in the owner's car, trailer or camp.

For complete information on hunting rules and regulations in Pennsylvania, visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission Web site.

Giftshop: The gift shop is open from late April to late October as staffing allows. Call the park office for times and seasonal changes. All proceeds benefit Pennsylvania State Parks. Water, soda and juice vending machines are available from late April to late October.

Environmental Education and Interpretation

An environmental interpretor presents resource-oriented programs and interpretive walks April through October. Major topics and seasonal programs include: Watershed Education, astronomy, fall color, old-fashioned cider squeezing and summer campfire programs. Educational information is available at the visitor center or park office. The environmental interpretive center, at the Leonard Harrison main overlook entrance, is open during the summer season through the fall foliage season. A video and educational displays interpret the area and its wildlife. Call the park office for visitor center hours or to schedule an appointment for your group tour.

Explore the Calendar of Events for a listing of events from today forward.

Explore environmental education and interpretation for more information.

Access for People with Disabilities

If you need an accommodation to participate in park activities due to a disability, please contact the Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks:
888-PA-PARKS (voice)
888-537-7294 (TTY)
711 (AT&T Relay Services)

The Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania

Leonard Harrison and Colton Point state parks are on opposite sides of Pine Creek Gorge, called the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. Many scenic vistas offer spectacular views into the 800-foot deep, glacially-carved canyon. The scenery at these parks is superb in every season of the year and is especially stunning in late September through mid-October. The large abundance of deciduous hardwood trees display beautiful autumn shades of yellow, orange, red and purple. Pockets of evergreen trees provide a dash of green year-round.

The “Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania” begins just south of Ansonia, along US 6 and continues south for about 47 miles. At its deepest point, Pine Creek Gorge is 1450 feet deep and nearly one mile wide. At Leonard Harrison and Colton Point state parks, the depth of the canyon is about 800 feet and these parks have the most spectacular scenic overlooks.

Many recreational opportunities are available in the Canyon. Some of these activities are regulated by the Bureau of State Parks or by the Bureau of Forestry, which have slightly different rules and regulations. Visitors can hike, mountain bike, horseback ride, fish, seasonally whitewater boat, hunt, camp and birdwatch.

Formation of the Canyon

Until about 20,000 years ago, Pine Creek flowed northeasterly. Then the Laurentide Continental Glacier, which covered most of northern North America, moved into the area, pushing rocks, soil and other debris, which dammed Pine Creek, forming a lake near Ansonia.

The abundant glacial meltwater eventually overflowed the debris dam, reversing the flow of Pine Creek to its current southerly flow. The abundant meltwater of the glacier swiftly carved a deep channel. Thousands of years of erosion by Pine Creek has carved the spectacular Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania.

Explore natural areas for more information.

Fall Foliage

Leonard Harrison and Colton Point state parks offer outstanding opportunities for fall leaf viewing. Shortening days, cool nights and warm days, wind, and adequate moisture through the preceding seasons, play a factor in the brilliance of the fall foliage. These factors also determine when the leaves will change in the Canyon. Droughts, wind, and cold temperatures can cause leaves to drop early in the fall. Each year varies on when the leaves change, however a guideline is the first three weeks in October provide a spectrum of fall foliage.

Leonard Harrison overlooks offer the best view of the full canyon. The drive up Colton Road to Colton Point State Park and the four overlooks offer spectacular fall foliage viewing opportunities.

General Fall Foliage Colors of Trees

Red: red maple, red oak, black cherry, sumac, sassafras

Yellow/Orange: sugar maple, hickories, sycamore, basswood, aspen, tulip poplar, birches, chestnut oak, serviceberry, black walnut

Brown: white oak, black oak, beech

Human Influence on the Canyon

American Indians used the Pine Creek Gorge as a major travel route. Pine Creek Trail follows the same general route as the original path. Just north of the park at Ansonia, an American Indian word that means “big meadow,” was a seasonal hunting camp.

The lumbering of the native white pine and later, the hemlock and assorted hardwoods, led to the settlement of this area. Logs were floated in huge rafts each spring to mills at Williamsport. Lumber from this area helped to make Williamsport the lumber capital of the world in the 1880s. Hemlock bark was peeled and hauled to several local tanneries to turn hides into leather. By the 1900s only a few small areas of native forest were untouched in all of Pennsylvania.

Due to the mass deforestation, massive forest fires, and unregulated hunting and trapping, the wildlife populations declined greatly in the Commonwealth. White-tailed deer, beaver, and elk were reintroduced to the state in the early 1900s. More recent additions to the canyon include the reintroduction of river otters in 1983 and the reintroduction of fishers in the mid 1990s. Bald eagles, once an endangered species, began nesting in the gorge in the late 1980s.

Prior to being a world-class multi-use trail, Pine Creek Trail was an active railroad. The Jersey Shore, Pine Creek and Buffalo Railroad began in 1883 by carrying timber to the sawmills in Tiadaghton, Cammal, and Slate Run. The railroad also transported coal north to New York State and vast amounts of hemlock bark to several local tanneries for use in the leather industry. By 1896, the railroad was carrying seven million tons of freight and three passenger trains on daily runs between Wellsboro Junction and Williamsport.

The railroad changed hands several times and was eventually taken over by Conrail. The last train passed through the canyon on October 7, 1988. Today, the rail line has taken on a new life as a part of the state’s extensive network of railtrails.

In 1968, 12 miles of the canyon were designated a National Natural Landmark by the U. S. Department of the Interior. In 1993, the Canyon became a State Park Natural Area, which will protect it in a natural state for future generations. In 1992, Pine Creek was designated a Pennsylvania Scenic River.

Park History

Leonard Harrison State Park honors Leonard Harrison (1850-1929) of Wellsboro. Mr. Harrison was a civic-minded businessman and banker who contributed his time, energy and finances to the betterment of his home community.

Leonard Harrison State Park originally consisted of 121 acres and was called “The Lookout.” Mr. Harrison owned and developed the area as a public picnic ground. He gave the area to the Commonwealth in 1922. The park was further developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the mid-1930s. A bronze monument to their achievement is on the overlook. Additional lands were added in the park in the late 1940s.

For more information on the CCC, visit the Civilian Conservation Corps Online Archive.

Nearby Attractions

For information on nearby attractions and accommodations, please contact the Tioga County Visitor’s Bureau, 888-TIOGA-28, www.visittiogapa.com, or the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce, 570-724-1926. www.wellsboropa.com

Colton Point State Park: Just across the canyon lies Colton Point which has camping, hiking and scenic views.

Tioga State Forest: The 159,466-acre Tioga State Forest provides timber products, wildlife habitat and recreation. 570-724-2868.

Other Attractions: Horseback trail rides, covered wagon rides, mountain biking, road bicycling, seasonal whitewater rafting, canoeing and kayaking, as well as airplane rides are available from private sources in the area.

Emergency services

Contact a park employee or dial 911. For directions to the nearest hospital, look on bulletin boards or at the park office.

Nearest Hospital:
Soldiers and Sailors Hospital
32-36 Central Avenue
Wellsboro, PA 16901
570-723-7764

For More Information Contact

Leonard Harrison State Park
4797 Route 660
Wellsboro, PA 16901-8970
570-724-3061
Manager: Chip Harrison

E-mail: leonardharrisonsp@state.pa.us
An equal opportunity employer

Make online reservations or call toll-free 888-PA-PARKS, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday, for state park information and reservations.

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