 Although the Pine Creek Gorge was clearcut in the 19th and early 20th centuries , it is now covered by second growth forest , thanks in part to the conservation efforts of the Civilian Conservation Corps ( CCC ) in the 1930s . The park is named for Leonard Harrison , a Wellsboro lumberman who cut the timber there , then established the park , which he donated to the state in 1922 . The CCC improved the park and built many of its original facilities . Since a successful publicity campaign in 1936 , the park has been a popular tourist destination and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year . Leonard Harrison State Park was chosen by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources ( DCNR ) Bureau of Parks for its " 25 Must @-@ See Pennsylvania State Parks " list , which praised its " spectacular vistas and a fabulous view of Pine Creek Gorge , also known as Pennsylvania 's Grand Canyon " . 
