Take A Hike at the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania

A short walk at Leonard Harrison State Park will lead you to the rim of the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, which is 800 feet deep.

You can also hike down into the Pine Creek Gorge on the Turkey Path Trail to see waterfalls, but this is a steep hike through rugged terrain.

We stayed the night in the nearby tourist town of Wellsboro, Penn.

Formation of the Canyon

Created by the movement of the Laurentide continental glacier, which pushed rocks and earth forming a dam and then forming a lake from the glacial melt-off.

Then the dam gave way and the meltwater swiftly carved a deep channel. Thousands of years of erosion by Pine Creek have continued to carve out the canyon.

OUR TIME AT THE GRAND CANYON OF PENNSYLVANIA

After parking we headed to the Overlook Trail through the walkway with the words “Entrance to Views” in the Visitor’s Center which was not open yet. Restrooms are located here.

Overlook Trail

At the start of the walk, I came to a map of the area which showed the playground, campground, picnic area, park office, and trails of the park.

Next, you come to a paved walkway that goes along the rim of the canyon. On the north side of the paved path starts the Turkey Path.

Going south we stopped at different overlooks along the .6-mile paved and natural surface Overlook Trail. It has stairs and does go downhill. We did the walk as an out and back, but you can do it as a loop if you go away from the canyon and into the woods.

In front of one overlook is a description of rattlesnakes that live in the park.

*How the Native Americans described the canyon.*

Another sign talked about the Native American name for Pine Creek which was “Tiadghton,” which means river of pines. Many of the pines are long gone from past logging operations.

How the valley's view changes over the seasons. — *How the valley’s view changes over the seasons.*

I also learned that during different seasons the view changes, summer brings misty mornings, fall is filled with color, winter exposes the slopes and in spring a haze of pastel colors coats the canyon walls and many of the early greens are actually tiny tree flowers.

After making it down to the Otter View we walked back the way we came.

A young deer greeted us on the left side of the railing in the woods.

Turkey Path Trail

This is a two-mile out-and-back steep natural surface trail. My son and I walked to the first waterfall overlook and hiked 1.3 miles with 361 feet of elevation gain.

Hikers should wear suitable footwear and be prepared for an 800-foot descent to the bottom of the canyon as well as the return hike to the top for a total of a 2-mile hike if you do the whole trail.

*The small brook which made the path muddy.*

Along this path, we came to a small brook that made it muddy. There was more than one of these along the path, so watch your step as you go down.

A small waterfall we passed along the walk.

Then further down a brook that flows into Pine Creek comes into view.

We stopped at the first overlook for the waterfall, he was ready to turn back so we took in the view and then headed back up.

On the way up we stopped at a bench for a break. He learned that going uphill is much harder.

*Another view of the canyon from a different angle*

Final Thoughts On Trails

If I came back, I would like to go further along the trail to see more of the waterfall. I loved the views of the canyon along the Rim Trail.

We had recently gone to the Grand Canyon of New York, Letchworth State Park, the waterfalls there were spectacular, but I liked that the canyon and hike here were more remote and had fewer people.

DETAILS

Drive: Take Interstate 70 to Interstate 71

Hours: Sunrise to Sunset

Address: 4797 PA-660, Wellsboro, PA 16901

COLTON POINT STATE PARK

Across the canyon is the more remote Colton Point State Park. I think the roads are not as good here so expect more of an adventure if you go to this park, which we did not check out.

Rim Trail- an easy one-mile hike that links the many overlooks on this side.

Turkey Path (Colton Point side) – This three-mile difficult trail goes along the steep canyon to the valley far below. The highlight is a 70-foot cascading waterfall less than a half mile down. There is no bridge across Pine Creek at the bottom.

Address: 927 Colton Rd, Wellsboro, PA 16901

PINE CREEK TRAIL

The 62-mile Pine Creek Rail Trail is a multi-use trail that is located at the bottom of Pine Creek Gorge, one mile of this trail is Leonard Harrison State Park.

The trailhead is near the intersection of U.S. Highway 6 and Pennsylvania State Highway 287, about 3 miles north of Wellsboro. Parking is located at the southernmost end of Butler Road.

Darling Run Access Address: 394 PA-362, Wellsboro, PA 16901

WELLSBORO PENNSYLVANIA

We stayed the night in nearby Wellsboro Penn., which is a tourist town with restaurants, shops, and historic sites.

Penn Wells Lodge

Our lodging at Penn Wells Lodge included a morning breakfast and use of a large pool and whirlpool.

Address: 4 Main St, Wellsboro, PA 16901

Penn Wells Hotel

Penn Wells Lodge is a sister property to the history of Penn Wells Hotel. Built in 1869 and is in a historic building.

The interior still has mahogany woodwork, deep colors, and a large wood-burning fireplace in the lobby.

Also, in the hotel is a bar that has an early 20th-century feel.

Address: 62 Main St, Wellsboro, PA 16901

Frog Hut

We had dinner at the Frog Hut which has normal drive-in food such as soft serve and hard ice cream, burgers, hot dogs, onion rings, fries, etc.

Address: 132 Tioga St, Wellsboro, PA 16901

Eugene Field wrote a poen about children riding a wooden shoe. — *Eugene Field wrote a poem about children riding a wooden shoe.*

Wellsboro Green

In the middle of The Green, a park up from downtown is a statue of children riding a wooden shoe.

Missourian Eugene Field was a newspaper columnist who wrote poems dedicated to childhood and its world of make-believe. One of his best-loved poems was Wynken, Blynken, and Nod, the story of three children who sailed off in a wooden shoe.

Fred W. Bailey of Denver, Colorado, presented the statue to the town for the children of Wellsboro as a gesture of love for his late wife Elizabeth who enjoyed Field’s poem and love for her hometown.

Note – My connection to this poem is the name of an elementary school in Missouri that I attended when I was a kid.

Address: 118 Main St, Wellsboro, PA 16901

*A historic house turned into a restaurant.*

It is also worth walking around downtown to check out local stores and restaurants.

MORE WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA SITES

Visiting Fort Ligonier and Allegheny Portage Railroad Site

See the French and Indian War era Fort Ligonier and visit the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site and learn about the first railroad to cross the Allegheny Mountains.