 The gorge is home to many species of plants and animals, some of which have been reintroduced to the area.The park is named for Henry Colton, a Williamsport lumberman who cut timber there starting in 1879.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.