Heading to Allegheny National Forest

We have a camp on the edge of ANF near Ridgeway, PA. The Clarion River is nice for canoeing and kayaking. We have canoed all the way from Ridgeway down to Hallton, about 20 mile trip. In a canoe and easy paddling, this is pretty much an all day trip but you could do it faster if you wanted. Depending on how much or how little rain we get, the river can be shallow between Ridgeway and Portland Mills for canoes, but kayaks might be better. Below Portland Mills is great with a couple decent (but not crazy) rapids closer to Hallton depending on how high or low the river is. For a short hour or two ride, put in at Arroyo-Portland Road and go down to Hallton-Spring Creek Road. This is the best stretch of river in that area and is 3.5 miles long. There are parking lots and canoe ramps at each.

Love's Canoe in Ridgeway runs a canoe rental service and you can arrange for him to drop you off or pick you up downstream and bring you back to your car.

mbopp wrote:
We used to go to Red Bridge every year and still get down to that area at least once a year.
If you're heading south from NY and take Rt 219 be warned - from Rt 17 / I86 it's a rough road to the Pa line. And the town of Limestone is a speed trap, 40 MPH but it's so rough you don't want to go faster anyhow.
If your route map tells you to take Rt 770 west off of Rt 219 it's a moderately steep road. I've driven further south on 219 and then west on Rt 59, it's a bit of a backtrack but not as steep.
We hook up with Allegheny Outfitters in Warren, they shuttle us and our canoe to the Kinzua dam & we paddle the Allegheny river back to their livery in Warren. If you launch at a Pa State boat launch you need a $10 launch permit but since the Kinzua dam launch is Federal it's a moot point.
And I need to look at my ANF map, there's a small unmarked launch area I believe is called Kinzua Bay.
Oh, PFD's are required when paddling the reservoir. We got a gentle reminder from a Ranger once.

PFDs are only required on ACOE operated facilities or from November to April, I forget the exact dates. It's best to just get the registration from the PA fish commission for 10 bucks online that's good yearly for a yak. Much cheaper than the $105 citation you'll get from the fish warden for straying beyond some unmarked boundary, and covers you statewide anywhere. Dont be surprised to be questioned by a fish warden who has walked into the wilds 5 miles from the nearest access or road. They're not lazy and only patrol from their truck cab. Also on Kinzua or any other ACOE lake, do not have so much as one beer in a cooler to drink with your lunch. That will set you back $205 and during the summer they check tenaciously at popular facilites. Especially when patrolled by the coast guard auxiliary weekend warrior folks.

We used to go to Red Bridge every year and still get down to that area at least once a year.
If you're heading south from NY and take Rt 219 be warned - from Rt 17 / I86 it's a rough road to the Pa line. And the town of Limestone is a speed trap, 40 MPH but it's so rough you don't want to go faster anyhow.
If your route map tells you to take Rt 770 west off of Rt 219 it's a moderately steep road. I've driven further south on 219 and then west on Rt 59, it's a bit of a backtrack but not as steep.
We hook up with Allegheny Outfitters in Warren, they shuttle us and our canoe to the Kinzua dam & we paddle the Allegheny river back to their livery in Warren. If you launch at a Pa State boat launch you need a $10 launch permit but since the Kinzua dam launch is Federal it's a moot point.
And I need to look at my ANF map, there's a small unmarked launch area I believe is called Kinzua Bay.
Oh, PFD's are required when paddling the reservoir. We got a gentle reminder from a Ranger once.

About like Ky. Cooks Forest is very pretty. Tionesta is goo for a kayak. Golden hill is pretty in the summer but may still be snowing in July. Sure is cold this year.Only thing I remember are Leeper and Bradford because my Aunt owned an oilfield in Bradford so we spent a lot of the summer there with my cousin. Be aware of presense of Timber Rattlers although they try to avoid you, carry a walking stick to scoot them away. They are endangered so it is illegal to kill them.
https://www.summitpost.org/northern-allegheny-plateau/171825