Once described as a “freak of nature”, join us as we uncover the checkered history and secrets York County’s little-known Black Gut.
The Black Gut, in its present-day form, is a seemingly mundane body of water about a mile and a half long that flows into the Susquehanna River near the out-of-the way community of Saginaw in York County, PA. The gravel Gut Road runs along the bank of the Black Gut. Gut Road has a boat launch to the Susquehanna and is used by locals as a shortcut between the Saginaw area and York Haven. Other than that, the obscure area appears unremarkable on its surface. But if you look closely and are willing to venture off the beaten path, you can uncover clues to the Black Gut’s hidden secrets and fascinating history of prosperity and horror.
The Black Gut’s Hidden Surprises
We started our adventure at the southern end of Gut Road at Saginaw, just beyond the railroad tunnel. There is a spacious gravel parking lot adjacent to the boat launch (40.06744, -76.67011). We headed north, following the bank of the picturesque Susquehanna for about 0.3 miles until we encountered a bridge crossing a dry stream bed at 40.07078, -76.67340. The river tends to draw one’s attention, and this is the kind of place that you could hurry by a dozen times unaware of what lies hidden in the narrow ravine through the woods. But the observant and curious adventurer is rewarded with this alluring find:
Our hearts leapt with excitement at the sight of the mysterious tunnel beyond the railroad bridge. What was it for? Where did it go? What lies inside? If the Susquehanna is low, you can access the ravine to the hidden tunnel by passing under the Gut Road. bridge on the river side. However, on the day we visited, the river was high on account of snow melt and recent rain. So, after ensuring we had a way to climb back out, we jumped down the five feet or so from the bridge into the ravine to avoid walking through the knee-high water.
We passed beneath the old, dressed stone railroad bridge on dry ground. Bygone artifacts like the wheel and axle shown above stoked our curiosity as we approached the entrance to the eerie enclave.
Let’s see what’s inside!
The large rock slab that forms the floor of the tunnel gives way to pebble and stone making for an easy walk. But the ground is not level and is interspersed with large rocks. Be sure to bring a flashlight, otherwise, you will likely trip in the dark.
The graffiti-blemished passage extends for about 280 feet. After a slight curve, you can see light in the distance. The western end is obscured by a log jam, but you can easily climb up to exit the tunnel to another surprise. Is this old drainage tunnel actually a portal to a post-apocalyptic reality?!
In an unexpected and delightfully fitting twist, the tunnel leads to a steep ravine crowned with abandoned stoic concrete buildings. The ravine is littered with debris and one section is an eroded dump of stone and white silt. From a distance it is reminiscent of the nearby White Cliffs of Conoy (the subject of a near-future adventure). This debris dump must have been associated with nearby quarries and/or the railroad. We followed the ravine for about a thousand feet until we were hemmed in by private property. We returned the way we came, taking a return trip through the mysterious tunnel!
The dressed stone retaining wall of the tunnel afforded convenient hand and footholds to climb back up to Gut Road at the same place we initially jumped in. We resumed our trek north along Gut Road. Shortly after the railroad bridge, we encountered the mouth of the Black Gut as it meets the Susquehanna at the tip of Lowes/Brunner Island. After about 0.8 miles up Gut Road from our excursion, we encountered a twin railroad tunnel over another ravine at 40.07785, -76.68470. Encouraged by our previous discovery, we lost no time jumping down into the ravine and exploring.
After a short walk along a stream our curiosity was rewarded by a small two-tier waterfall! Another surprise hidden along the Black Gut!
The ravine splits between the top and bottom tier of the waterfall. There is no trail and both prongs become steeper and more difficult to navigate. After exploring another hundred feet or so up each ravine we returned to Gut Road, satisfied with our unexpected waterfall find.
A Freak of Nature
The Black Gut has a fascinating checkered history of prosperity and tragedy. The Black Gut was once a distributary of the Conewago Creek, forming a delta around Brunner and Lowes islands, between York Haven and present-day Saginaw (formerly “New Holland”). In the 19th Century a booming lumber port known as Eib’s Landing was located across the Black Gut on Brunner Island. George R. Prowell writes in his History of York County, Pennsylvania, Volume 1:
“Among the early settlers west of the Susquehanna was Peter Eib, who took up the fertile land forming a delta between the mouths of the Conewago Creek. As the lumber interests up the river developed, a section of his farm became one of the most important landing places for this valuable product along the stream. There was a demand for pine limber, and from this landing place, York and a broad area of the country were supplied for more than half a century. But the importance of Eib’s Landing declined when the steam saw-mills were built at York Haven and Goldsboro, and when the Norther Central Railroad was completed”
You can see the delta on the 1821 Small & Wagner Map of York County, with the main body of the Conewago Creek flowing north into the Susquehanna River at York Haven and two branches of the gut flowing into the Susquehanna. One branch being a channel between Brunner and Lowes Island and the other entering the Susquehanna at the southern tip of Lowe’s island:
The three-branched delta also appears in the 1876 Pomeroy, Whitman Atlas of York County:
Goerge R. Powell continues in the History of York County, Pennsylvania, Volume 1:
“The Gut is a regular freak of nature. Sometime, not long before the settlement of York County by the whites, the Big Conewago Creek, on account of high water, overflowed its banks, and cut a deep channel, two miles in length, causing the southern branch to flow into the Susquehanna at new Holland [sic], while the main branch of the creek, flows into the river, three miles further up the stream at York Haven. During times of high water, the Gut is a rapid stream, but in dry seasons, it is sluggish and sometimes altogether dry. Within this irregularly shaped delta, is contained about five square miles of excellent alluvial soil. The “River Gut” is a branch half a mile in length, passing from the Gut to the Susquehanna. A singular phenomenon is illustrated: When the river is high, the water flows toward the creek, when the creek is high it flows toward the river. It is a true bifurcation.”
However, the black gut appears very different today. The small channel that once separated Brunner Island and Lowes Island, which Prowell refers to as the “River Gut” was filled in to create a single landmass prior to construction of the Brunner Island Electric station. The Black gut is now separated from the Conewago creek which flows into the Susquehanna at York Haven. The Black Gut is instead fed by Hartman Run.
Terror on the Gut
On January 8, 2000, while on a date walking near the Susquehanna River at Goldsboro, college students Dan Zapp and Danielle Keener were abducted at gun point. The assailant, William Babner of York, forced the couple into his truck and drove them to the secluded Gut Road. Babner raped Danielle repeatedly then shot both Dan and Danielle in the face with a 9mm pistol and dumped them in the river. Amazingly, Dan and Danielle were still alive. Playing dead, they floated down the cold river to escape their would-be murderer. After floating several hundred yards, a local duck hunter, Peter Prowell, noticed Dan and Danielle and pulled them out of the river. Dan and Danielle were taken to York County Hospital, and both survived the brutal horror. Babner was arrested and found guilty on all counts and sentenced to 117 to 235 years in prison.
Visiting the Black Gut
Although the Black Gut is marred with a sinister reputation among some locals, Gut Road is moderately trafficked by motor vehicles as a shortcut between Saginaw and York Haven. Gut Road has a boat ramp to the Susquehanna River and is popular with walkers/runners, fishermen, and even equestrians. The light blue-blazed Mason-Dixon Trail runs along Gut Road as it traverses the western bank of the Susquehanna. With a level, gravel surface, Gut Road is an easy walk. But the real fun begins when you venture off the beaten path to explore the secrets of the Black Gut.
Overall, the adventure was approximately 4 miles total, out and back.
Parking is at 40.06747, -76.67005.
While you are in the area, you can enjoy these nearby adventures:
Be sure to check out our other adventures.
