Elijah Run Boat launch and Day-Use

Located on Longhouse Scenic Byway.  There is a $5.00 fee per day for parking or launching.  Area is open April 1st and closes December 15th

Elijah Run Trail – The asphalt trail follows the edge of the reservoir for approximately 1/3 mile. Benches are found at regular intervals along this trail leading to an accessible fishing pier.

Boat launch, fishing pier, courtesy dock, accessible trail and toilet.

Boat Launch and Day-Use

Finding the Area

From Warren, PA, take Scandia Road north for approximately 17 miles. 

There is a $5.00 per day parking and launching fee payable at a self pay station.  The area is open April 1st to December 15th.

Webb’s Ferry – The asphalt trail is 600 feet long. It switches back and forth at maximum grades from the parking lot to the fishing pier. Benches are located along the trail.

Access is by boat or hiking only. Pine Grove has 13 campsites and can be accessed by a 1/3 mile hike from Forest Road (FR) 147 (Kinzua Heights Roads) off State Route 59 east of the Reservoir. The closest boat launch is Wolf Run Marina or Sugar Bay. This site is located on the Cornplanter Bridge topo map. $12.00 per night payable at the self pay station at the campground.  The campground is open April 1st to December 15th.

GPS Coordinates

N 41 52.472
W 078 56.798

Facilities include a table, fire ring, grill, vault (Sweet Smelling) toilets and hand pump for water. First Come First Serve/No Reservations.

This site:

• open year round (sometimes hard to get to with ice on reservoir)
• has vault toilets with no outside locks (they are always open)
• Pine Grove has hand pump water availability year round (if the water is not frozen).

Water is not tested in off-season (October trough April). We recommend people pack in their own water during this time period.

• there are no boat docks

Open April 1st to December 15th. $12.00 per night payable at the self pay station at the campground.

GPS Coordinates

N 41 49.214
W 078 55.707

• Have vault toilets with no outside locks (they are always open)
• We recommend people pack in their own water during of-season. Morrison has a pressurized water system, which is made available May through mid- October depending on weather.
• There are no boat docks at boat-to areas
• Facilities include a table; fire ring, grill, vault (Sweet Smelling) toilets and hand pump for water.
• First come First Serve/No Reservations

Morrison: 38 campsites; 6 to 7-mile hike; (utilize Morrison Run Trail) go to the Hiking and Trails page to print a map.  The closest boat launch is Elijah Run.

Open April 1st to December 15th  $12.00 per night payable at the self pay station at the campground.

GPS Coordinates

N 41 54.809
W 078 56.017

• Have vault toilets with no outside locks (they are always open)
• Hopewell has hand pump water available year round (if the water is not frozen). Water is not tested in off-season, Oct.- April. We recommend people pack in their own water during this time period.
• There are no boat docks at boat-to areas
• Facilities include a table; fire ring, grill, vault (Sweet Smelling) toilets and hand pump for water.
• First Come First Serve/No Reservations

Closest boat launch is Roper Hollow. 20 Campsites; 6-mile hike; (Utilize Tracy Ridge Hiking Trail system, the Johnnycake section and go south on NCT or SR321N; not easy access) a map is available in the Hiking and trails section.

$12.00 per night Open April 1st to December 15th

payable at self pay station at the campground.

GPS Coordinates

N 41 57.795
W 078 15.482

Closest boat launches are Willow Bay and Webbs Ferry. Access is by boat or hiking only. Hooks Brook has 32 campsites; is more of a boat-to only site, however, there is a trail along Hooks Brook that feeds into Reservoir and goes back to road that takes you to Reservoir Scenic Drive, west of the reservoir. We do not know the maintenance or condition of this trail. This is a trail that is only 1/2 on National Forest land.

• Facilities include a table, fire ring, grill, vault (Sweet Smelling) toilets and hand pump for water.
• First Come First Serve/No Reservations
• This site is open year round (sometimes hard to get to with ice on reservoir), has vault toilets with no outside locks (they are always open). Hooks Brook hashand pump water availability year round (if the water is not frozen).
• Water is not tested in off-season (October through April). We recommend people pack in their own water during this time period.
• There are no boat docks

Boat Launch and Day-use

Roper Hollow is a boat launch tucked in the wilderness. It is a 3 mile drive down a dirt road. It is not recommended for large boats. It has a launch with no dock, there is a restroom and shoreline trails. Hopewell and Handsome Lake Campgrounds are located directly across the reservoir. It is located off of Scandia Rd. The Fee is $5.00 per day payable at the self pay station. It is open area is open April 1st to December 15th. with no winter road maintenance, therefore inaccessable after snowfall.

GPS Coordinates

N4155.342                                                                       
W078 56.800

Open April 1st to December 15th $10.00 per night payable at a self pay station with in the park.

GPS Coordinates

N 41 55.401
W 078 55.844  

• The vault toilets have no outside locks so they are always open.
• Hand pump water is available year round (if the water is not frozen). Water is not tested in off-season (October through April).
• We recommend people pack in their own water during this time period.
• There are no boat docks at boat-to areas
• Facilities include a table; fire ring-no grill, vault (Sweet Smelling) toilets and hand pump for water.
• Sites are first come first serve/no reservations are available.

Handsome Lake has 20 campsites; 5.2-mile hike; (Utilize Tracy Ridge Hiking Trail system, the Johnnycake section and go south on North Country Trail; easy access). The closest boat launch is Roper Hollow.

State Route 321
Bradford PA 16701

Finding the area

Tracy Ridge Recreation Area is located on State Route 321, north of the junction with SR 59 and south of the junction with SR 346. Tracy Ridge sits on a ridge top three miles east of the Allegheny Reservoir.

GPS Coordinates

N 41 56.682
W 078 52.628

Facilities

Open April 1st to Dec. 14th
There are 65 open spacious, tree-shaded campsites, each containing a picnic table, fire ring, and tent pad. Hand-pumped water, vault toilets, and a trailer dump station are also available.  Loops A, B, and E are recommended. Firewood may be obtained from dead and down trees or available from host when on-site.

Camping fees per night

$12.00

Other features

Tracy Ridge Hiking Trails System (marked with off-white
blazes) leads to the Reservoir. It also links up with the North Country National Scenic Trail, marked with blue blazes. By using this system in conjunction with the North Country National Scenic Trail, a loop hike of 8.7 miles is possible, beginning and ending at the campground. One feature of these trails is the large, scenic rock formations along their routes.

Click on map for larger downloadable image.

State Road 2002
Warren PA 16365

Finding the area

Hearts Content Recreation Area is located 15 miles southwest of Warren, PA. From the Mohawk exit of U.S. Route 6, take Pleasant Drive south for 11 miles. At the hard curve, turn left onto a gravel road; go south for four miles to Hearts Content. The Hearts Content Recreation Area is split by State Route 2002, with the campground on the south side of the road and the scenic area on the north side.

GPS Coordinates

N 41 41.437
W 079 15.277

Facilities

Open May 1st to Oct. 20th

Camping Fees:  $12.00 per night  $14.00 for a site with shelter and $50.00 for the group site

Each of the 26 family campsites contains a picnic table, fire ring, and tent pad. Two sites also have lean-to shelters and charcoal grills. Vault toilets and pressurized water are available. The kids will enjoy the small playground with its log cabin, sandbox, and other attractions. There’s lots of open area, too. Campsites are available on a first-come, first served basis only, no reservations.

Other features

Hearts Content National Scenic Area, a lovely, old growth, remnant timber stand, is located next to the picnic area. Here stand 300 to 400 year old white pine, hemlock, and beech.
Interpretive Old Growth Trail – starts at the north end of the east side parking lot and winds about one mile through this timber stand before returning to the picnic area. All facilities in the day use area are universally accessible to people with disabilities. Facilities include a picnic area, pavilions, toilet, and interpretive materials.

Cross-country Ski Trail – This 10.5 kilometer (6.4 mile) trail utilizes old railroad grades, roads and existing trails to form several loops for your skiing pleasure.

Hickory Creek Wilderness – The trailhead currently starts near the grassy parking area at the west side parking area near the pine plantation. This trailhead is scheduled to be moved to provide a setting more appropriate to a Wilderness experience. This 8,663-acre area is replete with solitude, serenity, and wildlife; no motorized equipment of any kind is permitted. A 11-mile loop hiking trail weaves its way through the rolling terrain, climbing in and out of the valleys.

Orienteering Course – is a self-guided course that allows you or your group to follow, at your leisure. It is a permanently marked route as an introduction to the sport of orienteering.

History

In the mid 1800’s, a 20 acre parcel was protected from logging by the Wheeler and Dusenbury Lumber Company. This parcel of original forest, often called “old growth” or “virgin” timber was donated to the Forest Service in 1922. In the following decades, more land was purchased to make up the Allegheny National Forest as we know it today. In 1934, the virgin timber area and 102 acres of the land surrounding it was designated a “Scenic Area” by the Chief of the Forest Service. The Civilian Conservation Corps built the pavilions and the campground south of the road in 1936. The Scenic Area was dedicated as a National Natural Landmark in 1977.
The original forest was a mixture of white pine, Eastern hemlock, and American beech, with a multi-layered understory of hobble bush, witch hazel, and many other species. Time, weather, insects, and disease have all affected the forest in different ways, along with a high population of deer. These have changed, and will continue to change, the species composition – the look and feel – of this forest with implications far into the future. The oldest of the existing trees, mostly white pine and Eastern hemlock, are estimated at 300-400 years old. Many of the other trees in the stand are younger and have come in through natural succession, displaying multiple vertical layers of vegetation typical of a natural – not human-influenced – forest and occasional open gaps where large old trees have fallen and young seedlings and saplings are filling in to renew the forest.

Click on map for larger downloadable image.

Wildlife

Wildlife species around Hearts Content are typical of what is found throughout the rest of the forest. There are a variety of birds including birds of prey, songbirds, and some shore birds. Mammals range from tiny voles and chipmunks to white-tailed deer and black bear.

Vegetation

Most of the area outside the Scenic Area and campground is heavily forested with second and third growth Allegheny hardwood timber type. This is a mix of black cherry, maples, birch, beech, red oak, and many other species. Hemlock and white pine are frequent members of a stand, either in small clumps or as individuals. Understory vegetation is usually fern in varying degrees of density, with a mixture of grasses, sedges, and wildflowers. Mosses and lichens grow in damp, shady areas on downed trees and rocks. Rock ledges and boulders can be found on steeper hillsides, adding variety to the scene.