Swatara Gap is a water gap through Blue Mountain formed by the Swatara Creek in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. PA Route 72 as well as Interstate 81 pass through the gap. The Appalachian Trail passes through the gap over the Waterville Bridge in Swatara State Park. The area was a fossil collecting site.
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The Waterville Bridge is a lenticular truss bridge designed and manufactured by the Berlin Iron Bridge Co. It was built in 1890.
It was relocated from Waterville, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, to Swatara State Park in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, in 1985.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
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Swatara State Park is a 3,520-acre Pennsylvania state park in Bethel, Swatara and Union townships, Lebanon County and Pine Grove Township, Schuylkill County in Pennsylvania in the United States. 8 miles of Swatara Creek lie within the park's boundaries, which are roughly formed by Pennsylvania Route 443 to the north and Interstate 81 to the south. The park is in a valley in the ridge and valley region of Pennsylvania between Second Mountain and Blue Mountain.
Swatara State Park is a fairly new park for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It was opened in 1987 and is still largely undeveloped. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is working on plans to further develop the lands of Swatara State Park. The original plans called for the building of a dam and reservoir for recreational fishing and boating as well as to provide drinking water for the City of Lebanon. The PADCNR explored plans for developing the park without the recreational lake/reservoir, and in 2012 started developing the park with infrastructure improvements to increase access to biking, hiking, canoeing, fishing and picnicking opportunities in the park. Improvements include installing 10 miles of crushed stone along the rail-trail and work on abandoned Old State Road.
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Swatara Township is a township in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Lebanon, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,045 at the 2020 census.
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Bethel Township is a township in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Lebanon, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,007 at the 2010 census. Fredericksburg is a census-designated place within the township.
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Lickdale, previously known as Union Forge, is an unincorporated community in northern Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a village approximately three miles west of Fredericksburg, Pennsylvania, and was named for James Lick. Lickdale was a prominent 19th century canal port along a branch of the Union Canal and contained a large commercial ice house. It is on the Swatara Creek and serves as a southern gateway to Swatara State Park. It is located in Union Township and Route 72 has an interchange with Interstate 81 via Fisher Avenue. It is served by the Jonestown post office with the zip code of 17038.
"Swatara" comes from a Susquehannock word, Swahadowry or Schaha-dawa, which means "where we feed on eels". Ancient Native Americans built dozens of eel-weirs, V-shaped rock barriers designed to funnel eels to facilitate capture, on the Susquehanna River and its tributaries.
