Allegheny National Forest
| Allegheny National Forest | |||
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| Location: | Pennsylvania , United States | ||
| Next city: | Pittsburgh | ||
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The Allegheny National Forest is a national forest owned by the US federal government and is located in northwest Pennsylvania , USA . It extends over around 2100 km² and has shares of a total of 4 counties. The Allegheny National Forest has laid out over 360 km of hiking trails , 320 km of snowmobiling and 120 km of bicycle paths .
history
Like all National Forests east of the Mississippi, the forest area was established in 1923 by the Weeks Act of 1911. It authorized the federal government to purchase almost worthless land in the east of the United States through deforestation, overgrazing and other forms of overexploitation. Such areas were particularly large on the Allegheny Plateau . Since the late 19th century they had been almost completely cut down using industrial methods for railway construction and, above all, the paper industry.
After purchasing the land, the federal government ensured through intensive hunting that the white-tailed deer did not significantly hinder the natural reforestation. A new, young forest grew up. which, however, was composed completely differently. Instead of the large, shade-loving trees of the old Carolina hemlock and copper beech trees before the deforestation, a secondary forest of open softwood emerged . Today the forest consists largely of trees of almost the same age.
Some small remnants of the old jungle have been preserved. Two wilderness areas , the strictest class of nature reserves in the USA, preserve such old stocks on Hickory Creek and on seven islands in the Allegheny River .
tourism
The Allegheny National Forest with its numerous rivers and streams is a frequent destination for anglers and boaters . In particular, Lake Kinzua , a reservoir, is heavily used by boats.
In the middle of the forest are the remains of the 625 meter long Kinzua Bridge over Kinzua Creek . When it was completed in 1882 , the bridge, some 100 meters high, was the “highest and longest railway viaduct in the world” and was already a tourist attraction at that time . While the iron bridge used to be the most important route for transporting wood, coal and oil to Pittsburgh , it is now economically insignificant. The bridge has also been closed to pedestrians since 2002. In 2003 it was partially destroyed by a tornado. The newly built viewing platforms offer a view of the Kinzua valley.
