Tionesta Lake is a serpentine reservoir that meanders its way through a scenic valley in the foothills of north-west Pennsylvania just two hours drive north of Pittsburgh. The lake was created after the US Army Corps of Engineers dammed the Tionesta Creek in 1940 as part of an Allegheny and upper Ohio rivers flood control project. Named after the nearby rural town of Tionesta, whose name means home of the wolves in Native American, Tionesta Lake is a wild and wonderful place to camp out in your RV. Bordered on one shore by the dense trees of the Allegheny National Forest, when you see it, even though grey wolves have been extinct in Pennsylvania since the late nineteenth century, it's not hard to understand where the name originates from. Incidentally, if you do want to see wolves, you'll need to make a four-hour drive over to the Wolf Sanctuary of Pennsylvania in Lititz to do so.
Though you won't see any wolves, Tionesta Lake is a prime location in Pennsylvania for going wildlife spotting. From the lake, you can discover the natural beauty of the area by taking a scenic drive along the Tionesta Creek Road or hiking through the Tionesta Creek Valley. Tionesta Lake and Tionesta Creek are great spots for floating either kayak or canoe but expect some fast flow on the creek if the water levels are high. There's a swim beach along one bank of the creek too, which is perfect for a summertime splash with the kids. You can enjoy some tranquil fishing at numerous locations around the lake shores or out on the reservoir waters in your boat as well as excellent hunting in the forested sections around the lake shores, depending on the season.
If you've been up on the shores of Lake Erie enjoying some beach time in the Presque Isle State Park and are heading to Tionesta Lake from there, you'll need about one and a half hours to complete the journey. It's a relatively straight run along the PA 8 passing by several state game reserves on the way. Two of the Corps campgrounds at Trionesta Lake are located just south of the town of Tionesta while the third is situated further north-east deep inside the Allegheny Forest boundaries.
To get to the Outflow or Tionesta Recreation Areas, take the PA 36 southbound from the Tionesta until you reach the junction for the Spillway Road, which leads to both campgrounds. To get to the Kellettville Campground, take the Dutch Hill Road (SR 4004) junction from near Lighthouse Island. It's a pretty drive with forest on either side.
If you're motoring up to Tionesta Lake after a few days camping out in the picturesque Cook State Forest, the trip along the PA 36 will take about half an hour. From that direction, you won't need to go into Tionesta to reach the campgrounds as you'll reach the turn-offs before you hit the suburbs. The directions to all three campgrounds are well signposted, so you shouldn't have too many problems finding them. The internal road systems of all three of the campgrounds are asphalted and maintained in good condition.
The Tionesta Recreation Area is situated alongside the Allegheny River and offers more than one-hundred and twenty campsites for RVs. The majority of the pitches are paved and equipped with both water and electricity hook-ups, picnic tables, grills and fire rings. The campground has a good range of amenities which make for comfortable camping. There are several blocks of flush toilets and showers in various locations around the campground as well as a playground and boats can be launched from a ramp in the nearby marina.
The Outflow Recreation Area Campground is located on Outflow Road on the eastern bank of the Allegheny River. There are just a handful of campsites for RVs at this campground, with most of the pitches given over to tent-only camping. The campsites available for RVs are surfaced with grass, are standard non-electric and suitable only for small rigs. While camping at the Outflow Recreation Area Campground is primitive there are flush toilets, showers and a dump station on-site.
The Corps campground in the Kellettville Recreation Area is a small campground with less than twenty campsites suitable for RVs. It's situated in a quiet and primitive location alongside Tionesta Creek and surrounded by the Allegheny Forest. It may be back to basics as far as the campsites are concerned as they are all non-electric, though there is drinking water, showers and flush toilets on-site for communal use. The pitches are also furnished with picnic tables, grills, and fire rings. Although it may be small and remotely located, reservations are required and campsites must be pre-paid before arrival.
If you're RV camping at Tionesta Lake at the end of June, head over to the Allegheny National Forest to see nature at its most spectacular best. The Pennsylvania Firefly Festival is held during the mating season of the fifteen different species of fireflies that inhabit the woods. It's a time when the trees and woodland glades come to life at night with millions of specks of light. It's a truly magical sight. During the day, the non-profit organization that runs the festival presents educational programs about firefly conservation, and there are food stalls, live music, and the sale of arts and crafts that all help to fund the festival.
In the month of August, the streets of Tionesta come to life with the Tionesta Indian Festival. It's a four-day-long annual event that celebrates the town's indigenous heritage with street parades and Native American music and dance as well as presentations of traditional crafts and costumes. There are food stalls galore, beer tents, fun parks, and escape rooms for the kids plus bingo games and the one thing no street festival is complete without - a dunking booth.
Some amazing day hike trails run through the Allegheny National Forest and the Tionesta Scenic Area. The Tionesta Scenic Area Trail is just under two miles long and a moderately easy walk through meadowlands and woodlands perfect for bird spotting while you walk. Although the trail is out and back, you can make your hike longer by continuing along the part of the North Country National Trail, which links up with the Tionesta Trail. There are too many trails to mention individually, but believe you could hike a different one every day of your RV camping trip to Tionesta Lake and still not have hiked them all.
Get back behind the wheel of your vehicle and take a spin down the Longhouse Scenic Byway. The route covers thirty-six miles of road bordered by the oaks, hemlock, and black cherry trees of the Allegheny Forest. Take a picnic and stop off at Jakes Rocks Overlook for lunch beneath the trees, visit the interpretive museum dedicated to the oil drilling industry, the Old Powerhouse or weather permitting, park up at Kinzua Beach of the shore of Allegheny Reservoir for a refreshing dip before continuing your drive.
If you've never seen an inland lighthouse, then you need to pop into Tionesta and take a look at the Sherman Memorial Lighthouse. The seventy-five-foot tall construction sits on its own little peninsula on the banks of the Allegheny River. While the lighthouse does have a working light, it's not there for maritime navigational purposes but is more of a novelty museum. Internally the lighthouse has seven different floors where there are various displays of memorabilia pertinent to the Sherman family.
Whether you paddle around Tionesta Lake or down Tionesta Creek, you'll be guaranteed wild scenery on all sides. If you head out on the creek, it'll be a real outback adventure as you navigate along the waterways and through the center of the Allegheny Forest. It'll be just you and your canoe and any wildlife you might spot along the way, which could be anything from herons to bald eagles fishing for their dinner.
