Place

Lackawanna Heritage Valley National and State Heritage Area

Wood carving along the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail
A sculpture on Lackawanna River Heritage Trail pays tribute to the area's Native American heritage.

Michael Straub Photography

Quick Facts
Location:
PA
Significance:
The anthracite coal from northeastern Pennsylvania powered the Industrial Revolution in America, essential to the iron industry and steam-powered transportation of the 19th and 20th centuries. Railroads carried the coal from Scranton to the cities of the Northeast and in barges across the Great Lakes to the Midwest provide fuel to heat the nation. By the late 1880s, Scranton had become one of the nation’s leading industrial centers. Coal mining, railroading, iron works, and textile manufacturing were prevalent, and the Lackawanna Valley’s economic promise attracted laborers and capitalists from across the country, and the world.
Designation:
National Heritage Area
MANAGED BY:
Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority

The Lackawanna Valley National Heritage Area or Lackawanna Heritage Valley is a National Heritage Area and state heritage area located in northeastern Pennsylvania. Centered on Scranton, the heritage area encompasses the watershed of the Lackawanna River in Lackawanna, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Luzerne counties.

The Lackawanna River Heritage Trail is among the heritage area’s most popular amenities. The trail is part of a 70-mile multi-purpose trail system that follows the Lackawanna River. It begins at the confluence of the Lackawanna and Susquehanna Rivers in Pittston and travels north where it connects with the Delaware & Hudson Rail Trail, continuing on to the New York State border.

Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority (LHVA) is the coordinating entity for Lackawanna Heritage Valley. LHVA develops forty miles of the trail system from Pittston to Fell Township. The organization is a partnership of government, business, civic organizations, and individuals dedicated to the development of the region’s historic, cultural, economic, and natural resources through preservation, education, and promotion of the region’s heritage

The mission of the Lackawanna Heritage Valley is to facilitate community action in the preservation, promotion, and development of the region’s history, cultural heritage, and natural resources.

The goals of Lackawanna Heritage Valley include:

  • Telling the story of the Lackawanna Heritage Valley
  • Facilitating partnerships
  • Preserving and enhancing the physical character and economic vitality of the communities in the Lackawanna Valley
  • Improving the visitor experience
  • Reconnecting people and communities to the Lackawanna River
 

The following NPS units are located in Lackawanna Heritage Valley:

 

The Lackawanna Heritage Valley also includes the following historic sites:

Tags

Last updated: July 25, 2019