Many people in our area have taken a day trip to Pymatuning State Park. But, if you haven’t had the chance to take the trip now’s a good time to check out what they have to offer.
Welcome to Pymatuning State Park where you can snowshoe in the wintertime and boat in the summertime.
The park sits on the Pennsylvania, Ohio border, and was built in 1931.
A dam was built for water supply and flood control for western Pennsylvanian’s Shenango Valley.
“Really, recreation was kind of secondary thought for the reservoir at that time,” said Dan Bickel, Park Operations Manager, Pymatuning State Park.
During World War II, torpedoes were tested in the waters. Now, you can find people fishing, boating, swimming and kayaking.
“The three marinas we have are full-service marinas, so you can rent boats there pontoon boats, run about boats, kayaks, canoes. Fishing is super popular here. This is one of the most productive fishing lakes in northwestern Pennsylvania. We have two large campgrounds with 401 camp sites. We have three very large marinas in the park, and we have 25 modern cabins that people can rent,” said Bickel.
Water activities like kayaking is a favorite on the Pymatuning Lake.
“We opened up a kayak rental, inner-tube and canoe business on the upper-Shenango water trail, which is pretty interesting because there are not a lot of water trails in Pennsylvania,” said Tonya Seaborn, owner, Pymatuning Rentals and Information Center.
Don’t know how to kayak? Don’t worry because you can learn on the safest part of the trail.
“What we use to teach people to kayak, whether it’s kids or grandmas and if they’re inner-tubing, this is the safest section of the river that we use, because it’s continuously flowing,” said Seaborn.
Pymatuning State Park is a popular destination all year round.
“We have over 3 million visitors a year come to Pymatuning. Our most popular facility by far is our spillway area. We have 400,000 visitors a year come to that area. And that’s the famous area where ducks walk on the backs of fish. And that’s the logo, that’s basically the tagline for Linesville,” said Bickel.
The popular Linesville spillway is the spot where ducks walk on the fishes back. It was voted one of the top family fishing destinations in the United States.
If you’re looking for something fun to do in Pennsylvania, check out Pymatuning State Park in Crawford County.