Pitch camp in your RV at Loyalhanna Lake near Saltsburg in Pennsylvania, and when you wake up the next morning and look out of the window, you could be forgiven for thinking you'd somehow been transported to the shores of a Scottish loch. The reservoir, created by the damming of Loyalhanna Creek, nestles in a valley cut between the steep foothills of the Loyalhanna Foothills known as the Laurel Highlands and is even more scenic than its counterparts in Scotland. Loyalhanna Lake is a five-hundred acre reservoir with an elongated, serpentine shore that sits at an elevation of almost one thousand feet. That altitude guarantees a purity of air perfect for outdoor activities, and there is definitely plenty to choose from at the lake. Whichever you prefer, be it foot or peddle-power, you'll find great trails at the lake and in the nearby Keystone State Park for both hiking and cycling. There's first-class bass fishing on the lake as well as good general angling in the many tributary creeks and backwaters. Canoeists and kayakers will be in their element at Loyalhanna Lake as they can paddle across the lake and up Loyalhanna Creek itself, or take on the exciting challenge of the Black Willow Water Trail. Whether you take your outdoor recreational activity on the water or stick to dry land, one thing is for sure. At the end of your RV vacation at Loyalhanna Lake, you'll be heading home with a Scottish-style rosy glow in your cheeks.
Loyalhanna Lake is located to the west of the state of Pennsylvania and is just a one hour drive from Pittsburgh. There are a couple of routes you can take from Pittsburgh to the lake, though the most direct and of the shortest duration is along the I 376 and the US 22. Once you reach New Alexandria, you'll have ten minutes on the PA 981 before you're pulling on the parking brake and setting up camp.
If you've been down in the south of Pennsylvania RV camping at the Savage River State Forest or the Big Run State Park in the neighboring state of Maryland, it'll take you around an hour and a half traveling northwards on the US 219 to get to Loyalhanna Lake. You'll find whichever direction you're arriving from, you'll have major highways and good state roads all the way with no complicated driving to put you to the test. The road that leads to the campground, Bush Road, also serves a local golf course so even though you might encounter some heavier vehicle traffic as you approach the campground, the road is kept in tip-top condition.
The Bush Recreation Area is the Corps campground at Loyalhanna Lake. It's a campground with forty-four RV campsites surrounded by trees and with phenomenal views of the lake. The campsites are a combination of fully equipped and primitive, offering either full utility hook-ups or none at all. The majority of the campsites are furnished with picnic tables, grills, and lantern poles, so grilling up the day's catch after dusk is not too much of a problem.
The Bush Recreation Area is open from the beginning of May through to around mid-September. Amenities on the campground are standard but decent for such a remote location. There are restrooms, showers, dump station facilities, and a playground as well as a volleyball court if you and the family want to get a game in. RV campers planning to pitch up at the Bush Recreation Area at Loyalhanna Lake should be aware that neither ATVs or horses are permitted at the campground, and while it is pet-friendly, dogs must be kept on a leash.
Loyalhanna Lake is perfect for practicing canoeing or kayaking, whether you want just a quiet paddle around the reservoir or something a little more challenging. The Black Willow Water Trail starts out from the campground at the lake and heads into the headwaters where paddlers can travel through mystical aqua-scapes of semi-sunken trees and past stark rock formations. There's lots of birdlife to spot along the way, and paddlers could see osprey, ducks, and red-tailed hawks.
There are numerous walking and hiking trails around Loyalhanna Lake and in the Keystone State Park. Choose between an easy three-mile stroll around the wetlands or the Lakeside Loop, a two-mile paved pathway where you can view the lake's abundant waterfowl. There are eight miles of trails in the state park alone, with varying degrees of difficulty and diverse things to see including old beaver dams and a conifer tunnel.
Mount your bike and head off on the seventeen mile long West Penn Trail. It's one of the most scenic cycling routes in Pennsylvania and has sections that are both on and off-road. Join the trail at Saltsburg just ten minutes from the Loyalhanna Lake campground, and you'll be biking along an old railway line through backwoods and through covered bridges. Be prepared because some of the trail sections near Saltsburg can be quite challenging.
When there's snow on the ground, Loyalhanna Lake becomes a paradise for winter sports of all types. Hiking trails used by walkers in the summer months are converted into first-class tracks for cross country skiing, sledding, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling. If it's extra cold and the lake freezes over, it becomes a rink for ice skating as well as a venue for ice fishing.
There are almost three-thousand acres of land around Loyalhanna Lake managed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission for hunting activities. Hunting is permitted in designated areas only during the appropriate seasons. The most common game bagged is deer, rabbit, and squirrel, as well as turkeys, pheasant, and grouse. Maps of the specified hunting areas can be obtained from the ranger on duty at the campground.
Fishing at Loyalhanna Lake is top notch any time of the year because the reservoir is regularly re-stocked to replenish the fish population. There are some big fishing tournaments held there throughout the year, too, with the primary aim of hooking some big, competition-winning, bass. Bass aren't the only fish in the lake, though, and anglers can expect to hook good-sized muskie, crappie, catfish, or even a tiger trout or northern pike.
