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Looking for
a reason to
visit Centralia?
Plan your visit around one of
Pennsylvania's best kept secrets located
only 15 miles up the road from Centralia.
Knoebels
Amusement Park
Click Below for
more details...
Knoebels
Amusement Park |
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Exploring Centralia Pennsylvania
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After exploring the burning hillside, head out to the main
road to where the original Rt. 61 is detoured down to the left. This is
the other half of the closed section of route 61. If you park your vehicle
and walk about 5 minutes down around the bend you will see why this section of
61 has been closed down. |
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It becomes immediately apparent that something is not right
about the road ahead of you. As you look down the hill, the road is
buckled and warped. Cracks run hundreds of feet through this 4 lane highway.
Some of the cracks are opened up several feet. Smoke and steam rise out
of the gaping cracks. The now familiar smell of sulphur lays heavy in
the air.
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Venting vapors this 1 - 2 foot wide crack in
61 gives you some sort of eerie insight into what is going on beneath your feet.
In spots the heat makes the surrounding rocks too hot to touch. |
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In length the cracks in route 61 stretches
for 100 to 150 feet with the biggest opening up to about 2 feet across.
Each year the crack seems to open wider. The hillside to the left in
this picture is also close to the fire below. There you will find
smoldering trees and gasses escaping from the ground. The danger is
everywhere. Subsidence is always a concern. Noxious fumes are just
as dangerous. This place in not a tourist attraction or an amusement
park. It's a risk to be here.
Photos continued,
please follow this link...
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Photo Updates:
