Ricketts Glen State Park

Ecology

thumb|alt=Photo of a large black bear walking through a grassy clearing in the woods, with the trunks of several trees are visible.|A [[American black bear|black bear in the park]]

It has been estimated that before the arrival of William Penn and his Quaker colonists in 1682, up to 90 percent of what is now Pennsylvania was covered with woods: over of eastern white pine, eastern hemlock, and a mix of hardwoods. By 1890, Ricketts' land was the largest tract of old-growth forest remaining in the state, and though he made his fortune clearcutting nearly all his land, the forests in the glens of Ricketts Glen State Park were "saved from the lumberman's axe through the foresight of the Ricketts family". The rough terrain of the glens made it difficult to harvest timber from the area. Many of the old-growth trees are believed to be over 500 years old, and ring counts on fallen trees have revealed ages of over 900 years. The old-growth forest in the Glens Natural Area is mostly eastern hemlock, eastern white pine, and oaks, and the park is home to 85 species of shrubs, woody vines, and trees, including seven kinds of conifers.

The streams and lakes of Ricketts are fisheries for many fish species, defined by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission as "streams which support a population of naturally produced trout of sufficient size and abundance to support a long-term and rewarding sport fishery".

Lake Jean is home to brook trout, brown trout, brown bullhead, and yellow bullhead. Acid rain with a pH near 3.0 has altered the ecology of the lakes and region; in Lake Jean low pH has decreased the number and quality of insects and plankton at the base of the food chain. Fish which are acid tolerant are predominant, including fathead minnows, muskellunge, pumpkinseed, walleye, and yellow perch. Predators like chain pickerel and largemouth bass are relatively few in number, and adult fish appear to grow rapidly but breed comparatively poorly. Among perhaps of old-growth forest, two branches of Kitchen Creek cut through the deep gorges of Ganoga Glen and Glen Leigh and unite at Waters Meet; then flow through Ricketts Glen. These old trees are commonly up to tall, with diameters of almost . The park has a great variety of trees as it lies at the boundary between the northern and southern types of hardwoods. In 1993, the state designated the Glens Natural Area a State Park Natural Area, which means that it "will be protected and maintained in a natural state". No buildings or latrines are allowed in the natural area, and the bridges in it are built with wood, not steel or concrete.

White-tailed deer became locally extinct on Ricketts' land by 1912, mirroring the sharp decline in Pennsylvania's deer population from overhunting and loss of habitat in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The state imported nearly 1,200 white-tailed deer from Michigan between 1906 and 1925 to re-establish the species throughout Pennsylvania, and Ricketts brought deer to the area of the park in 1914. Pennsylvania's deer population rebounded from roughly one thousand in 1905 to roughly one million in 1928. Deer are now one of the most numerous mammals in the park, and their overbrowsing threatens development of trees and plants there. The deer eat most of the saplings and shrubs before they can reach their full size, which reduces the number of low lying plants many birds use for shelter. In 1995 and 1996, 39 fishers were released in the State Game Lands adjoining the park, and breeding populations appear to have been reestablished. The coyote seems to have come to the state in the 1930s. Black bear and wild turkey populations were also severely affected by overhunting and loss of habitat; the recovery of their populations in the 20th century has been "aided by the re-growth of the eastern deciduous forest". Bears prefer a mixed forest of hickory and oak with an understory of shrubs such as blueberry and laurel; they use patches of coniferous forest for cover during the winter months. Ricketts Glen State Park is featured in the Audubon Society's Susquehanna River Birding and Wildlife Trail Guide.

Ornithologists and bird watchers have recorded a total of 75 species at Ricketts Glen State Park and within the North Mountain IBA. Several factors contribute to the high total of bird species observed: there is a large area of forest in the park, as well as great habitat diversity. The location along the Allegheny Front also contributes to the diverse bird populations. There are 120 campsites at Ricketts Glen State Park. Each campsite has access to washhouses with flush toilets, showers, and laundry tubs. The campsites also have fire rings and picnic tables. There are two camping areas on the shores of Lake Jean, with one of the campgrounds on a peninsula. There is also an organized group tenting area, which can accommodate six groups of up to 40 persons.

Environmental education and trails

thumb|left|alt=Photo of a path passing through a narrow gap between angular rocks; the two sides of the gap look as if they once fit together.|The Midway Crevasse on the Highland Trail

Environmental education specialists lead guided tours of parts of the park from March through November. The walks give school groups, scouting organizations, and other visitors a close and informed look at natural wetlands, old-growth forests, waterfalls, flora and fauna, and geologic formations. In summer and fall, park educators lead "Ghost Town Walks" to the ruins of the lumber village of Ricketts and to adjoining State Game Lands. The trails range from easy hikes like the Beach Trail along Lake Jean, to difficult hikes such as the Falls Trail loop, which passes by many of the waterfalls of the park. In 2003, Backpacker Magazine named the park's Falls Trail loop one of its 30 favorite day hikes in the contiguous United States.

thumb|Beginning of the Falls Trail

thumb|upright|alt=Photo of a sunlit-dappled path through a woods full of large trees and green leaves.|The Falls Trail passes through old-growth forest and along Kitchen Creek and its waterfalls

thumb|upright|Evergreen Trail near [[Boston Run]]

Many of the trails in the park are difficult and hikers are urged to use caution, especially on the Falls Trail, which is steep and often wet and slippery. Each year hikers fall in the glens and have to be rescued, which usually takes dozens of volunteers and up to 11 hours because of the remote locations and rugged terrain. As of 2008, the former concession stand along PA 118 in the southern end of the park was used for storage of rescue equipment.

Falls Trail is a difficult loop, estimated to take 4 to 5 hours to hike. The January 2009 issue of Backpacker Magazine named the Falls Trail loop the best hike in Pennsylvania, as part of the magazine's Reader's Choice Awards. It has a series of waterfalls, each cascading though rock-strewn clefts, and passes through a stand of old-growth forest. The park's website stresses the difficulty of the trail, and The New York Times calls it "difficult and potentially dangerous" near the top of glens. The Falls Trail was "rehabilitated" in 2008 to make the "easier to hike". The trail is closed during the winter months to hiking, but it is open to ice climbing. The ice climbers must use an ice axe, crampons, and rope.

:b. All sources agree that the North Mountain House hotel closed in 1903, but differ on the date that the wooden addition used for the hotel was torn down. William Reynold's Ricketts' history for the HABS and Petrillo's book both report it was razed in 1897,

:c. The Ricketts family is descended from Clan Rose of Kilravock Castle near Nairn in the Scottish Highlands.

References

Works cited

ISBN refers to a 1999 reprint edition, URL is for the Susquehanna River Basin Commission's web page of Native American Place names, quoting and citing the book
(Note: OCLC refers to the 1961 First Edition).
Note: ISBN refers to 1998 impression.

External links

Ricketts Glen State Park Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources