Archbald Pothole State Park
The pothole
Map showing the location of Archbald Pothole State Park
Map showing the location of Archbald Pothole State Park
Location of Archbald Pothole State Park in Pennsylvania
Map showing the location of Archbald Pothole State Park
Map showing the location of Archbald Pothole State Park
Archbald Pothole State Park (the United States)
LocationArchbald, Lackawanna, Pennsylvania, United States
Coordinates41°30′42″N 75°34′27″W / 41.51167°N 75.57417°W / 41.51167; -75.57417[1]
Area149.16 acres (60.36 ha)
Elevation1,211 ft (369 m)[2]
Established1964
Named forArchbald Pothole
Governing bodyPennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
WebsiteArchbald Pothole State Park

Archbald Pothole State Park is a 149.16-acre (60.36 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Archbald, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania. The focal point of the park is Archbald Pothole. The pothole is a remnant of the Wisconsin Glacial Period, 38 feet (11.6 m) deep with a largest diameter of 42 feet (12.8 m) by 24 feet (7.3 m). It has drawn tourists since just after it was discovered in 1884. Archbald Pothole State Park is on U.S. Route 6 Business in the borough of Archbald.

The park is at an elevation of 1,211 feet (369 m).[2]

History

A coal miner, Patrick Mahon, discovered Archbald Pothole in 1884. Mahon was extending a mine shaft. When he set off a blast of explosives, water and stones came pouring into the mine shaft. He and the other miners fled the scene fearing for their lives. The manager of the mining company, Edward Jones, came to investigate. Jones ordered that the area be cleared of the fallen debris. Almost 1,000 tons of small rounded stones were removed and Jones soon realized that the vertical tunnel discovered by the coal miners was a large pothole.[3]

After serving as a ventilation shaft for the mine, the pothole was fenced in by the owner of the land, Colonel Hackley, for tourists. The pothole soon became a renowned tourist attraction. Edward Jones led the tours for the locals and famous geologists. Archbald Pothole was turned over to public ownership in 1914, when the widow of Colonel Hackley deeded 1-acre (4,000 m2) surrounding the pothole to the Lackawanna Historical Society. Lackawanna County gained ownership of the pothole and the surrounding 150 acres (61 ha) in 1940. Archbald Pothole was a county park until 1961 when the property was transferred to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Archbald Pothole State Park was formally opened in 1964.[3]

While the pothole and surrounding park were long a popular tourist attraction, by the 1990s attendance had fallen and the facilities were in need of repair. The park was closed for a $170,000 "facelift" and when it reopened in 1997 it had been repaved and had new landscaping and new trash receptacles.[4][5] Despite the improvements, attendance remained low and litter thrown into the pothole was still a problem, including "bottles and paper bags... a parking meter, a park bench and a "Wet Floor" cone".[5] Another problem was the park's "unsavory reputation" as a place for "men looking for sex", with plainclothes police arresting 29 men there for "lewd behavior" in one 2002 sweep.[5] In an attempt to address these issues, in 2002 the Pennsylvania State Legislature approved more improvements to the park, including "least two soccer fields, a basketball court, a tennis court, a walking trail, a playground, roads and parking areas".[5]

Geology

Archbald Pothole is 38 feet (11.6 m) deep and 42 feet (12.8 m) wide at its maximum diameter. The pothole cuts through layers of sandstone, shale and coal. A pothole, in geologic terms, is a hole that is worn into the bedrock of a stream in strong rapids or at the base of a waterfall. The force of the water spins rock fragments, sand and gravel into a small indentation in the bedrock. After years and years of constant spinning, the stones and sands carve out an elliptical hole. Potholes are also formed by the action of glacial meltwater. Archbald Pothole is an example of just such a pothole.[6][7]

Archbald Pothole was formed during the Wisconsin Glacial Period. As the glacier melted, a stream that flowed on top may have fallen into a crevasse and then fell to the bedrock. The force of the falling water created a pothole in much the same way that a waterfall creates a pothole. The pothole was filled by falling sand, rocks and gravel as the glacier retreated and created other potholes. Archbald Pothole was preserved underground for nearly 15,000 years until its discovery by Patrick Mahon.[6][8]

Nearby glacial formations

Recreation

Park entrance sign

A small loop trail follows an old coal mine tram road for hiking. The trail passes along a rock ledge and through a forest.[3]

Hunting is permitted on over 100 acres (40 ha) of the park. The most common game species are squirrels, turkeys and white-tailed deer. The hunting of groundhogs is not permitted. Hunters are expected to follow the rules and regulations of the Pennsylvania State Game Commission.[3]

Some of the parkland was stripped off in the past by strip mining. This land is currently undergoing a reclamation process and there are plans to use the reclaimed land for recreation and to build athletic fields.[3]

Nearby state parks

The following state parks are within 30 miles (48 km) of Archbald Pothole State Park:[12][13][14]

Panoramic view of the pothole at Archbald Pothole State Park

References

  1. ↑ "Archbald Pothole". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. August 1, 1989. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Archbald Pothole State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. August 30, 1990. Retrieved April 2, 2008.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Archbald Pothole State Park". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  4. ↑ "National Briefing: Mid-Atlantic: Pennsylvania: A Money Pit". The New York Times. July 23, 2002. Retrieved April 8, 2008.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Biggest pothole falls on hard times". Amarillo Globe-News / Associated Press. August 2, 2002. Archived from the original on May 22, 2011. Retrieved April 7, 2008.
  6. 1 2 McGlade, William G. (1969). "Archbald Pothole State Park, Archbald Pothole, Lackawanna County, Trail of Geology 16–003.0" (PDF). Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  7. ↑ Reese, Stuart O. (2016). "Outstanding Geologic featue of Pennsylvania: Archbald Pothole, Lackawanna County, Trail of Geology 16–025.0" (PDF). Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Plunge into the past or go with the flow: multiple hypotheses for the origin of the Archbald Pothole, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on August 5, 2012. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
  9. ↑ "Hickory Run State Park". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on March 17, 2007. Retrieved March 26, 2007.
  10. ↑ "Seven Tubs Natural Area, Luzerne County". Green Treks Network, Inc. Retrieved October 25, 2006.
  11. ↑ "Tannersville Cranberry Bog". The Nature Conservancy. Archived from the original on October 27, 2006. Retrieved October 25, 2006.
  12. ↑ "2022 General Highway Map Lackawanna County Pennsylvania" (PDF) (Map). 1:65,000. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Bureau of Planning and Research, Geographic Information Division. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  13. ↑ Michels, Chris (1997). "Latitude/Longitude Distance Calculation". Northern Arizona University. Archived from the original on April 11, 2008. Retrieved April 15, 2008.
  14. ↑ "Find a Park by Region (interactive map)". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on September 24, 2011. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
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