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All the United States Pennsylvania Ashland Big Mine Run Geyser
AO Edited

Big Mine Run Geyser

The only geyser in the state of Pennsylvania is caused by pressure from an abandoned coal mine outside of the ghost town Centralia.

Ashland, Pennsylvania

Added By
Karen Grossman
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  kfluharty / Atlas Obscura User
  kfluharty / Atlas Obscura User
  kfluharty / Atlas Obscura User
June 5th, 2021   bradihooker d2da2f6c / Atlas Obscura User
  sorcha1977 / Atlas Obscura User
  sorcha1977 / Atlas Obscura User
Spring afternoon at the geyser   jyackabonis / Atlas Obscura User
The sulfur smell is extremely strong   jyackabonis / Atlas Obscura User
  sorcha1977 / Atlas Obscura User
  sorcha1977 / Atlas Obscura User
Big Mine Run Geyser as of May 2021   cagocs / Atlas Obscura User
  shalimardebusk / Atlas Obscura User
The underground mine fire of Centralia resulted in the geyser nearby.   Flickr/Travis Goodspeed
  missingfilm / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Big Mine Run Geyser is the only geyser on the east coast of the United States. In Ashland, Pennsylvania, just outside the ghost town of Centralia, you can find water being expelled from the earth with immense pressure. When the mines in the area were abandoned in the 1930s, the empty mine shafts filled with water. When the water had nowhere else to go, it found an escape through an old ventilation hole.

The geyser experiences different pressures depending on rainfall, and can be as short as three feet or as tall as 15 feet. The surrounding rocks have taken on an orange hue from the iron-rich water that spews forth. 

Related Tags

Industrial Mines Geysers Ghost Towns

Know Before You Go

The geyser is on private property but can be viewed easily from the roadside without trespassing. 

Community Contributors

Added By

kfluharty

Edited By

Gary Saum, cagocs, shalimardebusk, Samir S Patel...

  • Gary Saum
  • cagocs
  • shalimardebusk
  • Samir S Patel
  • missingfilm
  • bradihooker d2da2f6c
  • jyackabonis
  • sorcha1977
  • Charbie1009

Published

July 24, 2020

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Sources
  • https://uncoveringpa.com/big-mine-run-geyser-in-pennsylvania
Big Mine Run Geyser
2-528 Big Mine Run Rd
Ashland, Pennsylvania, 17921
United States
40.786478, -76.318852
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Ashland Mother's Memorial

Ashland, Pennsylvania

miles away

Byrnesville

Ashland, Pennsylvania

miles away

Centralia

Aristes, Pennsylvania

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Ashland

Ashland

Pennsylvania

Places 3

Nearby Places

Ashland Mother's Memorial

Ashland, Pennsylvania

miles away

Byrnesville

Ashland, Pennsylvania

miles away

Centralia

Aristes, Pennsylvania

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Ashland

Ashland

Pennsylvania

Places 3

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