The Narrows
The Narrows passage dominates the west end of the Cumberland skyline. This valley, the gateway to the west, is a natural geologic feature carved by Will’s Creek. The cliffs of Lover’s Leap rise some 800 feet above Will’s Creek on Will’s Mountain to the North. Haystack Mountain is to the south. It has taken Wills Creek some 150 million years to wear down the monolithic rock of the Allegany mountains, upthrust from the ancient seabed, into the two separate mountains.
The strata revealed in the rocks is fascinating. That of the Juniata Formation, 530 feet thick and predominately red, dates from the Ordovician period, some 435-460 million years ago. Overlaying this is some 380 feet of the younger Tuscarora sandstone, from the Silurina period, a mere 425-435 million years old.
The strata is upthrust at the ends, most noticeably at the west end of Wills Mountain at Locust grove, in the formation known as the Devil’s Backbone. From Haystack to Will’s, the valley is about 1/2 mile across at the top of the cliffs.
Passing through the Narrows are Will’s Creek and the National Road (Route 40), as well as several rail lines. At one time, all of these rail lines went through the Narrows: Western Maryland, Pennsylvania, Cumberland & Pennsylvania, Baltimore & Ohio, CSX, Chessie, Georges Creek & Cumberland, Eckhart Branch., Mt. Savage Rail Road, and the Cumberland & Westernport Electric Railway trolley line. This choke point is the only option besides going over Haystack Mountain. That option is too steep for the rail lines.
