The Beauty Around Us

Returning Home from a Pocono Mountains Weekend Part 3

By Linda G. on May 28, 2017

Leaving Knapp’s Covered Bridge, we continued driving west on U.S. Route 6.  Our last sightseeing stop before returning home from our Pocono Mountains weekend getaway was in Wellsboro, where we stopped briefly in the town center before visiting Leonard Harrison State Park and Colton Point State Park.

The Mary Wells Morris statue sits near the Tioga County Courthouse, located across the street from The Green.  Wellsboro was settled by Benjamin Morris and his wife, Mary.  According to this article, the statue has stood next to the historical society on Main Street since 2009.  We have visited Wellsboro frequently over the years, as it is within a 2-hour drive of our home.  This was the first time that we saw this statue.

Across the street from the courthouse is The Green.

One of the features of this quaint town that I adore are the gas lit streets.

Wellsboro is the gateway to the spectacular Pine Creek Gorge, the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, which stretches 50 miles and reaches depths of 1,000 feet. Leonard Harrison State Park and Colton Point State Park perch on opposite sides of the canyon.

Leonard Harrison State Park, the east rim of the canyon, may be reached by following Route 660 West of Wellsboro for approximately 12 miles.

Pine Creek Gorge is magnificent!

To view the canyon from Colton Point State Park, the west rim of the canyon, follow Route 6 West of Wellsboro. The entrance to the park is along Route 6 in Ansonia approximately 12 miles from the town of Wellsboro.

There is a circular one-way road that passes by several picnic pavilions.  We usually drive on this road and head back down the mountain.  On this visit we decided to check out the trail that lies beyond the wood fence.

I believe this is part of the Rim Trail.  I am not certain, though, as Rim Trail follows the perimeter of the ‘point’ and links all of the overlook view areas together into a wonderful and mostly flat hike.  THIS trail was NOT flat.

The highlight of our visit to Colton Point State Park was discovering this view of Turkey Path Falls, which is visible on the trail beyond the wood fence.

This was the first time I had seen the falls.  Bob saw this waterfall on an earlier trip to Wellsboro.  He hiked the Turkey Path Trail, which is accessible from Leonard Harrison State Park.  The trail is 2 miles round trip and is described as a “most difficult trail”.  I opted not to hike that trail!  Turkey Path Trail trail descends one mile to the bottom of Pine Creek Gorge.  It is a down and back trail.  The top half of the trail descends through a series of switchbacks to a view of Little Four-Mile Run at 0.5 miles, then on a short distance to the first waterfall. The trail continues downward along narrow switchbacks and wooden decking, bridges, and steps. The lowest parts of the trail are along a series of waterfalls. The trail ends at the Pine Creek Trail.  The photograph displayed above is where Turkey Path Trail ends.  When Bob hiked the Turkey Path Trail in July 2016, there was only a trickle of water coming down the hill.  Turkey Path Falls was gushing during our most recent visit!

A little further along on the trail we were able to see the viewing area at Leonard Harrison State Park.

Leonard Harrison State Park,
as seen from Colton Point State Park

We ate a picnic lunch, when we returned from our hike.

After our picnic we left Colton Point State Park and continued our drive west on U.S. Route 6 to our home in Warren, PA.  We returned home around 5:00 pm.