Spring Gulch RV Resort

Central Pennsylvania

Despite its many beautiful landmarks, one feature dominates Central Pennsylvania - the majestic Susquehanna River. This can only mean one thing for visitors traveling by RV or auto: great fishing!

The largest river lying entirely in the United States flowing into the Atlantic Ocean, the Susquehanna and its hundreds of tributaries drain 27,500 square miles. That’s an area nearly the size of South Carolina, spread over parts of New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland. The river meanders 444 miles from its origin at Otsego Lake in New York until it empties into the Chesapeake Bay at Havre de Grace, Maryland.

The Susquehanna has made Central Pennsylvania famous for its fantastic smallmouth bass fishing. The Susquehanna River is also rich beyond belief in muskies, walleye, panfish, catfish, and carp. Fishing is often best around sunrise and sunset. However, smallmouth can often be enticed to bite all day. Along with any river this size comes endless opportunities for kayaking, hiking and other water recreation along with scientific exploration.

What some visitors to Lancaster, York and Chester counties might not realize is that they follow in the footsteps of Captain John Smith. Interpreters accompanying Smith on his explorations of the river in the 1600s spoke Algonquin. The suffix "hanna" is an Algonquin word meaning "stream" or "river." Native tribes along the river were identified as Sasquesahannocks and Sasquesahonougs and eventually became known as Susquehannocks.

Some of the oldest covered bridges in the country can be found in the Susquehanna Valley of Central Pennsylvania. There are 18 remaining bridges of this style within the tri-county region with many dating back to the early 1800s. Central Pennsylvania also abounds in mines.

In May 1963, Pioneer Tunnel, which ceased operation in 1931, was retimbered and reopened as a place where visitors could experience a real coal mine. The tunnel gives visitors an opportunity to learn how anthracite coal is mined. It shows how a vein of coal lies between rock and strata. It has a gangway, manways, and chutes. Guides are experienced miners with extensive knowledge. They take visitors into the tunnel on mine cars rebuilt to carry passengers.