Salt Springs State Park

Story

Salt Springs State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Franklin Township, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The park is home to some massive hemlock trees that are over 500 years old and are some of the largest trees in all of Pennsylvania. The park also features a gorge with three waterfalls on Fall Brook. Salt Springs State Park is north of Montrose, just off Pennsylvania Route 29. The park is the only state park in Pennsylvania that is managed by a non-profit organization, the Friends of Salt Springs Park. The state owns of land and the Friends own an additional bringing the total amount of protected land to.HistoryHemlocksThe first settlers came to the Salt Springs area in the 1790s, and found an area of unbroken forest that was dominated by the eastern hemlock tree. The settlers focused on clearing the land for farming. Many of the trees were simply burned, while others were used to build log cabins. Eventually the settlers began stripping the hemlocks of their bark for use in tanneries, while other trees were harvested for the lumber industry. Sawmills soon appeared on Silver Creek and other streams in the area. However, not all the old hemlocks were harvested. Those still standing in and about Fall Brook Gorge were left because the area had become a recreation destination as soon as the early 19th century.