Shenango River Lake is a US Army Corps of Engineers-created reservoir near the town of Sharpsville in Pennsylvania. Located in the north-western region of the state near the border with Ohio, it's surrounded by acres and acres of agricultural terrain dotted with picturesque rural towns. The impressive eleven-mile-long lake came into being after the Corps dammed the Shenango River to improve flood prevention methods for the farmlands in the 1960s. Go RV camping at Shenango River Lake, and you'll be pitching your rig in one of the prettiest spots in Pennsylvania.
As soon as you pitch camp at the Corps campground at Shenango River Lake and step out of your vehicle, you'll be able to begin to appreciate the peace and quiet of the reservoir's location. Think total tranquillity with just bird song to break the silence of the early morning and you won't be far from picturing what it's like to be there. That doesn't mean there's not much to do at Shenango River Lake, though. In fact, there's a fantastic range of outdoor activities that will keep you and the family occupied from the moment you arrive until you're ready to pack up and leave. From Shenango River Lake, avid canoers and kayakers can access the Shenango Water Trail. Hikers and bikers have a choice of trails running through woodlands or around the lake shores, and there's a huge park just a couple of miles from the campground for off-roading. Youngsters and the young at heart will all enjoy time at the nearby swim beach or casting a line into the water in search of that elusive fish to grill on the barbecue for dinner.
Explore the area more, and you'll discover both the scenic Maurice K. Goddard State Park and the Cuyahoga National Park are only half an hour's drive - in opposite directions - from Shenango River Lake. If you're searching for that somewhere special for a family RV camping trip this summer, you'll find Shenango River Lake will deliver those memorable moments that make a family vacation unforgettable.
Pennsylvania has some amazing state forests and if you're motoring over to Shenango River Lake after camping out in the Lyman Run State Park or the Ole Bull State Park in the Susquehannock State Forest, you'll have a few hours on the road in your rig to contend with. It'll be scenic driving as you head west on the I 80 from Cloudersport but expect it to take around three and a half hours in total. If you decide to take the optional route along the I 86 and take a peek at the US's fourth-largest lake, Lake Erie, on the way, add another forty minutes to your journey time - not including stopping time for photographs.
If you've hired your RV from Pittsburgh and are driving up to Shenango Lake from there, you'll find it's a short and relatively easy run along the I 76 and I 376 that will take you around an hour to complete. Take the I 70 northbound instead, it's a slight detour but you'll have a chance to stop off at the McConnells Mill State Park and see the glorious landscapes of the Slippery Rock Creek Gorge. It's worth going out of your way for.
The corps campground at Shenango River Lake is in the Shenango Recreation Area. It's a large campground with more than three hundred campsites for RVs. The majority of the pitches have standard electric hook-ups, though there are some without. Water and sewage hook-ups are available on-site as well as water for drinking. Almost two hundred of the campsites are distributed along a peninsula jutting out into the reservoir and have good views onto the water, while the rest are located in a shady wooded location. The pitches are gravel-surfaced back-ins furnished with a picnic table.
The Shenango Recreation Area Campground has good facilities which include showers, restrooms, dump station, and boat ramp. It's pet-friendly and there is a ranger station on-site. The use of generators is allowed during the day but not in the quiet hours from ten in the evening to six in the morning. The campground accepts visitors with reservations only, but they don't need to be made months in advance. You can make a reservation the same day you plan to arrive.
Float your canoe or kayak on Shenango River Lake and you'll be able to paddle your way along a seven and a half mile long section of the Shenango Water Trail. It's a true lazy river route to navigate, with slow-flowing water and densely wooded banks on either side. If you have a motorized craft, you'll be able to launch it from any of the half a dozen ramps located around the lake with no cost or restrictions on the type or size of engine your boat has. Boaters should be aware that the lake is not very deep and some areas can become even shallower during the high heat of the mid-summer months.
Step out for a hike in the countryside at Shenango River Lake and you'll have some superb trails to explore. Walk the one and a half miles of the interpreted Cooney Trail and you'll get not only some fresh air and exercise but an insight into the wildlife that inhabits its shores.
For a longer leg stretch, join the trailhead of the Trout Island Trail in Sharpsville for a five-mile hike on an asphalted path or head to the eastern shore of the reservoir where there's the seven and a half mile long Shenango River Trail running through the forest.
The Bayview OHV Area is two hundred acres of ground intersected with five miles of trails for all types of off-road vehicles. Located ten minutes away from Shenango River Lake, the off-road area is a paradise of sand, mud, dust, water-filled holes, high and low jumps and just about every other feature imaginable to make it a fun place to ride. The off-road area is open from the end of May through to the end of September only.
At Shenango River Lake you can fish from the shore, wade into the water or cast a line from your boat or the accessible fishing pier. There's plenty of varied fish life populating the reservoir so expect to hook some crappie, bass, muskie or walleye. If you like to lure fish for predators there are good-sized northern pike in the lake too.
Make the fifteen-minute journey from Shenango River Lake into Hermitage to visit the Avenue of 444 Flags. The unique memorial pays homage to the hostages who were held captive for four-hundred and forty-four days in Iran from 1979 to 1981. One flag represents one day of their captivity. Alongside the flags is a monument where an eternal flame burns in memory of the valiant servicemen who lost their lives attempting to rescue the hostages.
If you're unlucky with the weather when you're RV camping at Shenango River Lake, take a trip into Hermitage to the Olympic Fun Center. There's lots of great indoor activities at the center for all ages. Hit the rink on roller skates, play a game of laser tag or go crazy on the bumper cars. Test your skills at air hockey or deduce the right box in a play-off of Deal or No Deal and you could even win yourself a prize to go home with.
