 Kilgore Falls EarthCache
A cache by Umpire35 Hidden: 1/31/2008
Size:  (Not chosen) Difficulty:  Terrain:  (1 is easiest, 5 is hardest)
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Kilgore
Falls
Kilgore Falls is
part of the Rock State Park Maryland Park system which is a Trash
Free facility. Please use CITO (Cash In Trash Out)
This cache has been
approved by the Geological Society of America.
Viewing the falls from above.
Maryland's second highest free-falling waterfall is located
on the Falling Branch Area of Rocks State Park. It is a 67 acre
parcel of land which is home to Kilgore Falls, a scenic and
tranquil section of Falling Branch, a tributary of Deer Creek in
northern Harford County. The falls were well known to local native
Americans and settlers, but in recent times the area was relatively
unknown because the land was privately owned. Through the work of
citizens groups, businesses, North Harford High School and
government agencies the Falling Branch Area was added to Rocks
State Park in 1993 and open to the public. This non-developed,
environmentally sensitive area has a serene hiking trail leading
back to the waterfall Falling Branch passes through a steep gorge
known as Kilgore Rocks, where the falls have developed in
relatively erosion-resistant Prettyboy schist. This formation was
previously known as the upper pelitic schist of the Wissahickon
formation. The falls are variously named by local residents Falling
Creek Falls, Falling Branch Falls and Kilgore Falls.
The trail
head is located just off the end of the parking lot and enters the
woods which is a mix of hardwoods and hemlocks. Follow the marked
trail to the first of two bridges. There are good views of
substantial ruins on the opposite side of the Branch. The trail
crosses two short bridges to the falls which are
impressive.
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Historic/Cultural Features:
“Three
miles above the Rocks, a small stream empties into Deer Creek. This
stream flows through a little known and secluded territory, flanked
by forests and vines, almost hiding its natural beauty from the
human eyes. The stream got is name of Falling Branch from the fact
that a mile or more above the mouth, waters fall from a series of
rocky cliffs 30 or more feet in height. The falls makes a
picturesque setting, in an almost untrodden forest, and provides a
scene of unique beauty. Nearby are the remains of stone steps,
leading from the base of the rocks on which the waters fall. It
would appear that these steps were constructed by the hands of man,
but no record shows their age or whether they are the results of
the labor of white men or some predecessor, such as the
Susquehannock Indians. ["Our Harford Heritage” by C. Milton
Wright] Prior to the development of the current site, there were
the remains of an old mill and dwelling house belonging to the
miller, Isaac Jones. On the west side of Falling Branch is an old
stage coach route and that mill site near the waterfall. On the
east side is the foundation of a stage coach rest stop below the
falls.
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What is a
Waterfall?
A waterfall is
usually a geological formation resulting from water, often in the
form of a stream, flowing over an erosion-resistant rock formation
that forms a sudden break in elevation. Some waterfalls form in
mountain environments where the erosive water force is high and
stream courses may be subject to sudden and catastrophic change. In
such cases, the waterfall may not be the end product of many years
of water action over a region, but rather the result of relatively
sudden geological processes such as landslides, faults or volcanic
action. Typically, a river flows over a large step in the rocks
which may have been formed by a fault line. Over a period of years,
the edges of this shelf will gradually break away and the waterfall
will steadily retreat upstream, creating a gorge of recession.
Often, the rock stratum just below the more resistant shelf will be
of a softer type, meaning undercutting, due to splashback, will
occur here to form a shallow cave-like formation known as a rock
shelter or plunge pool under and behind the waterfall. Eventually,
the outcropping, more resistant cap rock will collapse under
pressure to add blocks of rock to the base of the waterfall. These
blocks of rock are then broken down into smaller boulders by
attrition as they collide with each other, and they also erode the
base of the waterfall by abrasion, creating a deep plunge pool.
Streams become wider and more shallow just above waterfalls due to
flowing over the rock shelf, and there is usually a deep pool just
below the waterfall because of the kinetic energy of the water
hitting the bottom. Waterfalls can occur along the edge of glacial
trough, whereby a stream or river flowing into a glacier continues
to flow into a valley after the glacier has receded or melted. The
large waterfalls in Yosemite Valley are examples of this
phenomenon. The rivers are flowing from hanging
valleys.
________________________________________________________________________
Types of
Waterfalls
Block: Water descends from a
relatively wide stream or river.
Cascade: Water descends a series of rock
steps.
Cataract: A large waterfall.
Fan: Water spreads horizontally as it
descends while remaining in contact with bedrock.
Horsetail: Descending water maintains some
contact with bedrock.
Plunge: Water descends vertically, losing
contact with the bedrock surface.
Punchbowl: Water descends in a constricted
form, then spreads out in a wider pool.
Segmented: Distinctly separate flows of
water form as it descends.
Tiered: Water drops in a series of
distinct steps or falls.
Multi-Step: A series of waterfalls one
after another of roughly the same size each with its own sunken
plunge pool.
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To log the Kilgore Falls earthcache you must post a picture of you
with your GPS with the falls in the background. DO NOT post your
answers to the questions in the log. Email me the answers to the
following questions:
1) Using your GPS what is the altitude at the top of the
falls?
2) Approximately how high are the falls?
3) Approximately how wide are the Falls at the top?
4) How wide is the pool at the base of the falls?
5) How do you think that the falls was formed?
When you arrive at the posted coordinates you will find a small
parking lot adjacent to Falling Branch Road. At certain times of
the year, normally in the summer, this parking lot can be very
crowded. Please DO NOT park on Falling
Branch Road. Park only in the posted parking areas. Also do not
park on the nearby dirt road. And when in the park, please stay on
the marked trails to avoid damage to the surrounding
environment.
   
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