Tiadaghton State Forest

Tiadaghton State Forest
Tiadaghton State Forest
	Tiadaghton State Forest: White Deer Hole Creek near the Fourth Gap of South White Deer Ridge, Washington Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
	Location of Tiadaghton Resource Management Center (district office) in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
Location	Pennsylvania, United States
Coordinates	41°18′53″N77°23′04″W / 41.31472°N 77.38444°W
Area	146,926 acres (594.59 km2)
Elevation	1,493 ft (455 m)
Named for	Tiadaghton, an Iroquois name for Pine Creek
Governing body	Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Website

Last updated September 11, 2024

Tiadaghton State Forest ( /ˌtaɪəˈdɑːtən/ ; ty-ə-DAH-tən)^[1] is a Pennsylvania State Forest (Forest District #12) in the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry. The forest is primarily in western and southern Lycoming County, with small portions in Clinton, Potter, Tioga, and Union Counties. The district's topography consists of narrow, flat to sloping plateaus cut by deep, steep-sloped valleys carved by fast moving mountain streams, including Pine Creek, Slate Run, and their tributaries. The Tiadaghton district extends south across the lowland along the west branch of the Susquehanna River to the narrow crests of Bald Eagle Mountain and North and South White Deer Ridge. The majority of forest cover is dominated by mixed oak forests, with some areas of northern hardwoods. The Tiadaghton State Forest is one of eight forest districts in the Pennsylvania Wilds region.

History

As the timber was exhausted and the land burned, many companies simply abandoned their holdings.^[2] Conservationists like Dr. Joseph Rothrock became concerned that the forests would not regrow if they were not managed properly. They called for the state to purchase land from the lumber companies and for a change in the philosophy of forest management. In 1895 Rothrock was appointed the first commissioner of the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters, the forerunner of today's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. In 1897 the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed legislation which authorized the purchase of "unseated lands for forest reservations" and the first Pennsylvania state forest lands were acquired the following year.^[3]

On July 13, 1898, the state bought a 409-acre (166 ha) tract of land in Cummings Township for $72.99 ($2673 in 2024 terms).^[4] This was the first purchase for what became Tiadaghton State Forest, which surrounds the park. The state forest grew to 66,000 acres (27,000 ha) by 1908, and over 160,000 acres (65,000 ha) in 1933.^[5] Most of the major purchases for it were made between 1900 and 1935.^[6]

2005 Realignment

Prior to the July 1, 2005 realignment of Pennsylvania State Forest Districts, Tiadaghton State Forest included all state forest lands in Lycoming County and encompassed 215,500 acres (87,210 ha). After realignment, the state forest tracts in eastern Lycoming County became part of the new Loyalsock State Forest. The District #12 office will also move from South Williamsport to Waterville, at the confluence of Little Pine Creek and Pine Creek, where the largest part of the forest is now located. The southern tracts are along Bald Eagle Mountain, North White Deer Ridge, South White Deer Ridge, and the White Deer Hole Creek watershed.

As of 2009, the Tiadaghton State Forest covered 146,500 acres (59,300 ha), chiefly in Lycoming County with small tracts in Clinton, Potter, Tioga, and Union Counties. The largest section of the state forest consists of 105,000 acres (42,000 ha) in the Pine Creek valley.^[6]

Other attractions

Hiking

Black Forest Trail; loop trail, 42.1 miles (67.8 km) long, west of Pine Creek in northwest Lycoming County
Golden Eagle Trail; loop trail, 9.2 miles (14.8 km) long, east of Pine Creek in northwest Lycoming County
Mid State Trail; 327 miles (526 km) south-north across Pennsylvania from the Maryland border to the New York border
Pine Creek Trail; 62 miles (100 km) rail trail from Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania north along Pine Creek to Wellsboro Junction in Tioga county and Tioga State Forest

Natural areas

Algerine Swamp Natural Area; 84 acres (34 ha)
Bark Cabin Natural Area; a 73-acre (30 ha) stand of old growth Eastern Hemlock, Northern Red Oak, White Ash, Bigtooth Aspen, and Hickories,^[7] and the Mid State Trail
Miller Run Natural Area; 4,000 acres (1,619 ha) oak and hardwood forest, three streams
Red Pine Natural Area; 10 acres (4.0 ha) with a stand of old growth red pine.
Torbert Island Natural Area; 54 acres (22 ha), an island in Pine Creek.

Wild areas

Algerine Wild Area; 3,700 acres (1,497 ha) with the Black Forest Trail
Wolf Run Wild Area; 6,900 acres (2,792 ha) with the Golden Eagle Trail

Nearby state parks

Little Pine State Park (Lycoming County)
Ravensburg State Park (Clinton County)
Susquehanna State Park (Lycoming County)
Upper Pine Bottom State Park (Lycoming County)

Neighboring state forest districts

Related Research Articles

Lycoming County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 114,188. Its county seat is Williamsport. The county is part of the Central Pennsylvania region of the state.

Bald Eagle State Forest is a Pennsylvania state forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #7. The main office is located in Laurelton in Union County, Pennsylvania. The forest is found in Centre, Clinton, Mifflin, Snyder, and Union Counties. Bald Eagle shares a common border on its western extent with Rothrock State Forest and on its northern extent with Tiadaghton State Forest.

Susquehannock State Forest is a Pennsylvania state forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #15. The main office is located in Coudersport in Potter County, Pennsylvania in the United States.

White Deer Hole Creek is a 20.5-mile (33.0 km) tributary of the West Branch Susquehanna River in Clinton, Lycoming and Union counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. A part of the Chesapeake Bay drainage basin, the White Deer Hole Creek watershed drains parts of ten townships. The creek flows east in a valley of the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians, through sandstone, limestone, and shale from the Ordovician, Silurian, and Devonian periods.

Sproul State Forest is a Pennsylvania state forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #10. The main offices are located in Renovo, Pennsylvania in Clinton County in the United States.

Tioga State Forest is a Pennsylvania State Forest in District #16, in the Allegheny Plateau region within Tioga County, Pennsylvania.

Wyoming State Forest was the name of the Pennsylvania State Forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #20. As of July 1, 2005, a reorganization of Pennsylvania State Forests in eastern Pennsylvania resulted in the elimination of the name "Wyoming State Forest". The District #20 main office was located in Bloomsburg in Columbia County, Pennsylvania in the United States.

Pinchot State Forest is a Pennsylvania State Forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #11. The main offices are located in Lackawanna State Park in North Abington Township in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, in the United States.

Weiser State Forest is a Pennsylvania State Forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #18. The main offices are located in Cressona in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania in the United States.

Loyalsock State Forest is a Pennsylvania state forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #20. The forest spans across the northern tier's "Endless Mountains" and is a total of 114,552 acres (46,358 ha). The Loyalsock is a “working forest” and is managed for pure water, recreation, plant and animal habitats, sustainable timber, and natural gas.

Little Pine State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on 2,158 acres (873 ha) in Cummings Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. Little Pine State park is along 4.2 miles (6.8 km) of Little Pine Creek, a tributary of Pine Creek, in the midst of the Tiadaghton State Forest. A dam on the creek has created a lake covering 94 acres (38 ha) for fishing, boating, and swimming. The park is on Pennsylvania Route 4001, 4 miles (6.4 km) northeast of the unincorporated village of Waterville or 8 miles (13 km) southwest of the village of English Center. The nearest borough is Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania, about 15 miles (24 km) south at the mouth of Pine Creek on the West Branch Susquehanna River.

Upper Pine Bottom State Park is a 5-acre (2.0 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is in Cummings Township on Pennsylvania Route 44 and is surrounded by the Tiadaghton State Forest. It is on Upper Pine Bottom Run, which gave the park its name and is a tributary of Pine Creek. Upper Pine Bottom State Park is in the Pine Creek Gorge, where the streams have cut through five major rock formations from the Devonian and Carboniferous periods.

Colton Point State Park is a 368-acre (149 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is on the west side of the Pine Creek Gorge, also known as the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, which is 800 feet (240 m) deep and nearly 4,000 feet (1,200 m) across at this location. The park extends from the creek in the bottom of the gorge up to the rim and across part of the plateau to the west. Colton Point State Park is known for its views of the Pine Creek Gorge, and offers opportunities for picnicking, hiking, fishing and hunting, whitewater boating, and camping. Colton Point is surrounded by Tioga State Forest and its sister park, Leonard Harrison State Park, on the east rim. The park is on a state forest road in Shippen Township 5 miles (8 km) south of U.S. Route 6.

Ravensburg State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Crawford Township in Clinton County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is in a gorge carved by Rauchtown Run through the side of Nippenose Mountain. Ravensburg State Park is 78 acres (32 ha) of wooded land that is almost entirely surrounded by Tiadaghton State Forest. This state park is on Pennsylvania Route 880, 8 miles (13 km) north of Carroll and 8 miles (13 km) south-east of Jersey Shore. The nearest city is Williamsport.

Leonard Harrison State Park is a 585-acre (237 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is on the east rim of the Pine Creek Gorge, also known as the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, which is 800 feet (240 m) deep and nearly 4,000 feet (1,200 m) across here. It also serves as headquarters for the adjoining Colton Point State Park, its sister park on the west rim of the gorge. Leonard Harrison State Park is known for its views of the Pine Creek Gorge, and offers hiking, fishing and hunting, whitewater boating, and camping. The park is in Shippen and Delmar Townships, 10 miles (16 km) west of Wellsboro at the western terminus of Pennsylvania Route 660.

Hyner Run State Park is a 180-acre (73 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Chapman Township, Clinton County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Renovo and 3 miles (5 km) north of Hyner on Pennsylvania Route 120. Hyner Run State Park is surrounded by Sproul State Forest.

The Pine Creek Rail Trail is the only rail trail in the Appalachian Mountains of north-central Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pine Creek Gorge</span> A gorge carved by Pine creek in Pennsylvania, United States

Pine Creek Gorge, sometimes called The Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, is a 47-mile (76 km) gorge carved into the Allegheny Plateau by Pine Creek in north-central Pennsylvania.

Algerine Swamp Natural Area is an 84-acre (34 ha) protected area in Lycoming and Tioga Counties, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of Tiadaghton State Forest, and has also been named a National Natural Landmark.

References

1 2 "History". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources . Retrieved April 18, 2022.
↑ Owlett, Steven E. (1993). "The Death of a Forest". Seasons Along The Tiadaghton: An Environmental History of the Pine Creek Gorge (1st ed.). Petaluma, California: Interprint. pp. 53–62. ISBN 0-9635905-0-2.
↑ "History of the William Penn State Forest". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on 2007-08-23. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
↑ "Consumer Price Index (Estimate) 1800-2008". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. 2009. Retrieved February 25, 2009.
↑ Thorpe, R.R. (1997). The Crown Jewel of Pennsylvania: The State Forest System. Pennsylvania Forestry Association, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service. pp. 68–70. OCLC 37033507.
1 2 A Public Use Map for Tiadaghton State Forest (Map). Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry. June 2009.Note: This is a map on one side, with a guide to the state forest and its resources on the other side
↑ Mary Byrd Davis (23 January 2008). "Old Growth in the East: A Survey. Pennsylvania" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 February 2012.

External links

"Tiadaghton State Forest". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on March 26, 2015. Retrieved 2006-07-14.Note: As of July 2006, this web page has not been updated to reflect the Pennsylvania State Forest Districts realignment.
"DCNR REALIGNING FOREST DISTRICTS". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. June 2005. Archived from the original on April 4, 2006. Retrieved 2006-07-14. Alt URL
"State Forest Districts". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on 2006-05-15. Retrieved 2006-07-14.Note: Map showing districts after the July 1, 2005 realignment
"National & State Forest Hiking Trails". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on February 19, 2004. Retrieved 2006-07-14.

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[iroquois-1] 1 2 "History". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources . Retrieved April 18, 2022.

[seasons_doaf-2] Owlett, Steven E. (1993). "The Death of a Forest". Seasons Along The Tiadaghton: An Environmental History of the Pine Creek Gorge (1st ed.). Petaluma, California: Interprint. pp. 53–62. ISBN 0-9635905-0-2.

[history-3] "History of the William Penn State Forest". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on 2007-08-23. Retrieved March 4, 2014.

[4] "Consumer Price Index (Estimate) 1800-2008". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. 2009. Retrieved February 25, 2009.

[crown_jewel-5] Thorpe, R.R. (1997). The Crown Jewel of Pennsylvania: The State Forest System. Pennsylvania Forestry Association, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service. pp. 68–70. OCLC 37033507.

[tiadaghton_map-6] 1 2 A Public Use Map for Tiadaghton State Forest (Map). Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry. June 2009.Note: This is a map on one side, with a guide to the state forest and its resources on the other side

[OldGrowthEastPA-7] Mary Byrd Davis (23 January 2008). "Old Growth in the East: A Survey. Pennsylvania" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 February 2012.

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