The Park Today
Moraine State Park is Butler County’s number one tourist attraction. It is the third largest park in the state (16,725 acres), after Ohiopyle State Park (19,052 acres) and Pymatuning State Park (21,122 acres). Lake Arthur is the largest man-made lake entirely within Pennsylvania and the second largest lake in a Pennsylvania state park. 1.3 million people visited the park in 2002 and it is still a very popular place to go.
There are still many glacial features that are preserved in the park for visitors to see. One of these is Spillway Falls. Spillway Falls is a sixty foot waterfall; the water empties into Slippery Rock Valley. The force of the water carried large boulders and dumped them along the sides of the trench where they are visible today.
Another glacial feature is Kettle Hole. Kettle Hole formed when a large piece of glacier broke off and was surrounded by sand and gravel. Eventually this ice chunk melted, forming a large pit. It is called Kettle Hole because the pit is shaped like a kettle.
There is also an esker in the park. An esker is formed when meltwaters from a glacier flow through a tunnel at the bottom of the glacier. Sand and gravel were deposited along this ridge and when the glacier melted, the ridge appeared as an abandoned railroad wall.
There are still many glacial features that are preserved in the park for visitors to see. One of these is Spillway Falls. Spillway Falls is a sixty foot waterfall; the water empties into Slippery Rock Valley. The force of the water carried large boulders and dumped them along the sides of the trench where they are visible today.
Another glacial feature is Kettle Hole. Kettle Hole formed when a large piece of glacier broke off and was surrounded by sand and gravel. Eventually this ice chunk melted, forming a large pit. It is called Kettle Hole because the pit is shaped like a kettle.
There is also an esker in the park. An esker is formed when meltwaters from a glacier flow through a tunnel at the bottom of the glacier. Sand and gravel were deposited along this ridge and when the glacier melted, the ridge appeared as an abandoned railroad wall.
