Not your typical pothole!

The Archbald Pothole was formed about 15,000 years ago during the Wisconsin Glacial Period. As the glacier crept across Northeastern Pennsylvania, it began to melt and the water flowed through a crevasse in the ice and bore a hole in the bedrock.

In 1884, coal miners discovered the pothole when they were expanding their tunnels. A blast dislodged the stones that filled the pothole, revealing a passage to the surface.

As visitors explore Archbald Pothole State Park’s 150 acres, they will see how NEPA’s natural beauty blends with its industrial past. Visitors can get a close-up view of the nearly 40-foot-deep pothole from a fenced platform.

For those wanting to explore the whole park, a short loop trail guides hikers along the path of an old mining tram and offers views of the forest and the occasional deer, turkey or squirrels that call the park home.

Photography by: Courtney Snyder