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The following historical and material on Ricketts Glen State Park of interest to readers of The Argus, was sub mitted by Samuel 8. Cobb, district forester for the Wyoming State Forest. Extending from Beech Glen in Sullivan County to Tunkhannock in Wyoming County is the impressive mass of the North Mountain, rising in places to almost 2600 feet ele vation. This formidable barrier marks the southern limits of the Allegheny Plateau in Eastern plateaus as the Sullivan Highlands. About midway in its thirty-five mile length, its sheer face is cut by a mountain stream called Kitchens Creek. As this beautiful Stream courses its way from a series of small lakes on the pla teau atop North Mountain, to the rolling country below, it flows over a series of some thirty-one water falls. These falls and the stretches of tumbling stream between them form the natural marvel of scenic beauty known as Ricketts Glen. With the Glens as its central at traction, the Ricketts Glen State Park extends a distance of some five miles northward from the low lands, up over the rim of North Mountain, onto the plateau to the north. The east-west extensions of the Park cover an average of some three miles. It embraces a total of 13,350 acres. Ricketts Glen lies on the north ern edge of the heavily populated Wyoming Valley of the Susquehan na River. It is about twenty-five miles from Wilkes-Barre, forty five from Scranton and Williams port, twenty-eight from Blooms burg, and forty-three from Towanda. It can be reached via State Routes 115 from Wilkes- Barre and Williamsport, by Route 339 from Bloomsburg, and via Routes 487 from Dushore. This area contains a population of one and one quarter million persons. Lying as it does athwart the course of the North Mountain, the Park is surrounded by a vast sea of timberland that clothes Sulli van, Wyoming and northern Lu zerne Counties. Atop the mountain lay the spring fed lakes which form the origin of Kitchens Creek. Ganoga Lake, still owned by the Ricketts Family, Lake Rose, and the largest body of water, Lake Jean, all feed Ganoga Glen. Lake Leigh pours its waters into Glen Leigh, the two Glens uniting at Watersmeet to form Kitchens Creek. The North Mountain is known locally as Red Rock Mountain be cause of the dark red sandstone and shale that forms most of the visible rock outcrops in the local ity. The Ricketts Glen Park is, at this writing, in its development stages, and will continue to ex pand for many years to come, since full utilization of its poten tialities is best achieved by grad ual and careful expansion based on sound planning. The first unit made available to the public was the picnic area along Route 115 at the mouth of the Glen. Acquired with a limited acreage surrounding the Glens in in 1942, this unit developed slowly during the war years. Following the war, development to present capacities was rapidly completed. At present there are day use facili ties for about 5,000 persons, con sisting of picnic tables, fireplaces, and the necessary water and sani tary facilities. The trail leading up the Glen was developed as rap idly as funds permitted. There is now an excellent foot trail with appropriate markers, bridges and the Glen area,together with an ac cess trail tying together the heads directional signs covering the en d Ganoga Glen and Glen Leigh. This system of trails covers a total of seven miles. For those who prefer short hikes, the Ever green Trail running south from Route 115 gives an excellent view of the final series of falls, and also meanders through a majestic stand of old growth hemlock giants. The waterfalls in the Glen proper provided the main attrac tion that eventually brought the area into the Pennsylvania State Park system. It was the desire of Col. Bruce Ricketts, the original owner, and of the many conserva tionists throughout the common wealth who were aware of its unique beauties, through the years, that these natural wonders be pre served for public appreciation. Ranging in height from a few feet to a breathtaking drop of one hundred feet at Ganoga_ Falls, each of these waterfalls is a study in itself. Some offer wide, white sheets of falling water drop ping from shelfrock rims to deep pools below. Others finding dif ferent rock barriers race and twist down through like channels until level stretches are reached. No two are exactly alike, and through the whole series can be found the entire gamut of shapes andd sizes present in any but the greatest of falls. One of the features of the Glen trail is the magnificent veteran pines, hemlocks, and oaks that border the stream. Many of these mammoth specimens are in ex cess of 500 years old. Ring counts on felled trees have revealed ages as high as 900 years. Diameters of almost five feet are common, and many trees tower to 125 feet in height. The area represents the meeting ground of the southern and northern hardwoood types, so that the variety of trees is amaz ing. Beside the red and white oaks and red saple of the southern complex can be found tulip popu lar, basswood, cherry and premanent white pine and hemlock. Newest, and probably the most popular from the public stand point, of the Ricketts Glen Park facilities, is the Lake Jean area on top of the mountain, east of Star Route 487. With the comple tion of the dam breast on Lake Jean in 1951, combining the for mer Lake Jean and Mud Pond waters into the present 268 acre Lake Jean, the development of this highland park became possible. A beautiful bathing beach at the southeast end of the lake offers the central feature of the day use area. Surrounding the beach is a picnic area which will eventually provide picnic and recreational facilities for 12,000 people. ‘Two large parking areas serve this unit. To the west, on a peninsula ‘near the dam breast are located the tenting and trailer areas, con structed to provide a sylvan camp ing spot for travelers who pre fer the forest as a summer resi dence. Fishing on Lakes Jean and Leigh offer further attractions to the day use visitor as well as to the camper. Any attempt at this time to fully describe the future possibilities of the Lake Jean area would be futile, since development is barely underway, and will continue for many years to come. Plans now under consideration include the installation of a boat house to provide a boat rental service to the public, access by road to a total of five magnificent vistas overtaking the Glens and the country south of the mountain, further beach and picnic facili ties as public use demands, a small beach for the tent and trail er units, and possible development of a rental cabin area similar to those now in use at others of the State Park system. The early history of the land now included in the Park is ex tremely interesting. The Ricketts family migrated north from Lan caster County to settle at Orange ville in Columbia County early in the nineteenth century. When Colo nel Robert B. Ricketts returned from extensive service with the Union army during the Civil War he avidly desired a period of peace and rest from the bloodshed and exetrtions of battle. He inherit ed the original five thousand acres surrounding the lakes from his father. To this he added many thousands of additional acres by purchase. In 1852 he completed er ection of the Stone House on Gano ga Lake (then called Long Pond) which still serves as the Ricketts homestead, and is occupied by Mr. William Ricketts, son of the Col onel. Colonel Ricketts engaged in, a wide variety of commercial in terests including lumbering; a hotel, opened in 1873 known as the “North Mountain House’; and a children’s summer school con ducted by Dr. J .T. Rothrock, the father of Pennsylvania Forestry. After years of discussion, nego tiations for the purchase of a por tion of the Ricketts Estate by the Commonwealth were opened in about 1936. An option was taken by the Department of Forests and Waters late in 1938. By an act of the Legislature the sum of $150, 000 was appropriated in 1941 for its purchase. Final agreement on the purchase was finally achiev ed on December 31, 1942. The to tal of 10,500 acres were acquired from the Ricketts Heirs in three successive transfers, culminating in 1950. Through the foresight of Colonel Ricketts and his son in preserving the timber in the Glen proper and around the lakes, and through the persistence of many conserva tionists throughout the common wealth in insisting, on public ac quisition, the people of the State, were assured of the recreational and scenic benefits of this ‘natural wonderland.”’
