Get on the water!

The original site at Rockwood provided a concrete ramp, but erosion caused concerns of long-term durability. CADF funds were used to add reinforcing boulders flanking the ramp to protect the structure. Additionally, a small “drop-off only” parking area was established to alleviate the parking pressure on a private lane adjacent to the ramp.

Put In:&nbsp;Laurel Hill State Park

Distance:&nbsp;4.5 or 18.5 miles

Distance:&nbsp;5.5 miles

Northwestern River Ramble on the Shenango

Put In: Pymatuning State Park

Minimum gage height for this trip is 1.8 feet using the&nbsp;<a href="http://waterdata.usgs.gov/pa/nwis/uv?site_no=03080000" target="_blank">USGS gage at Ursina</a>.

&nbsp;This section is typically floatable from early December through early June and&nbsp;should not&nbsp;be attempted when the water is too high. The&nbsp;<a href="http://waterdata.usgs.gov/pa/nwis/uv?site_no=03079000" target="_blank">Markelton gage</a>&nbsp;should read between 2 feet and 4 feet.

This trip begins adjacent to the picnic area in one of the region’s popular and beautiful public parks:&nbsp;Laurel Hill State Park. This site was improved in 2014 by the park with assistance from the Casselman River Watershed Association. This access project included expanding an existing parking, development of a walking trail to the water’s edge and installation of a sandstone boulder step system for launching boats. Laurel Hill State Park boasts old growth hemlocks, a large lake with a beach, numerous hiking trails and a substantial campground. The park is also home to the Laurel Hill Bluegrass Festival. Although late summer is a popular time to hike, camp and attend park events, it is not an ideal period for paddling on Laurel Hill Creek as water levels, on average, decrease in August and September. So, as always, please be aware of varying water conditions.

Northwestern River Ramble on the Shenango

The access in Avonmore was improved in 2009 with a grant awarded to the Avonmore Community Association. Funding was used to reinforce and extend the existing canoe ramp to ensure access during periods with lower flows. The canoe ramp is part of the Pasternak Recreation Area and includes a picnic pavilion and portable toilets.

Your journey will end 16 miles later at Hamilton Bottom. This trip highlights the work funded by the CADF through Tiadaghton State Forest. If you prefer a shorter trip, there are multiple other accesses available along the way.

The&nbsp;<a href="http://waterdata.usgs.gov/pa/nwis/uv?site_no=03079000" target="_blank">Markelton gage</a>&nbsp;should read between 2.2 feet and 3.6 feet.

Take Out:&nbsp;Kings Covered Bridge

<a href="https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/PymatuningStatePark/Pages/default.aspx" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">State Park</a> is not only one of Pennsylvania’s largest state parks but also boasts the largest lake, the Pymatuning Reservoir.&nbsp;

Since Pine Creek is a large free-flowing river, it’s important to know and check water levels before making a trip down the river. The USGS gage just upstream in Cedar Run should read between 2 feetand 3.5 feet.

Additional information on paddling the Conemaugh and Kiskiminetas rivers can be found on the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.fish.state.pa.us/watertrails/kiski/kiski_conemaugh_guide_map.pdf" target="_blank">Kiski Conemaugh River Water Trail</a>&nbsp;map.

<h2>Paddling the Highlands on Laurel Hill Creek</h2>

Take Out:&nbsp;Harnedsville

Another river with&nbsp;<a href="https://gaptrail.org/" target="_blank">a rail-trail</a>&nbsp;(or is it rail-trail with a river?!), the Casselman River lies in the heart of the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.laurelhighlands.org/" target="_blank">Laurel Highlands</a>near the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP). We feature two trips on the river, all of which have been completed by the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.casselmanwatershed.org/" target="_blank">Casselman River Watershed Association</a>&nbsp;and their partners.

Suggested Trips Using WPC's CADF Launches

<a href="https://waterdata.usgs.gov/pa/nwis/uv?site_no=03101500" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gauge at Pymatuning Dam</a>.&nbsp;If you’re going further downstream than the Halfway Road take out, it’s recommended you look at the <a href="https://waterdata.usgs.gov/pa/nwis/uv?site_no=03102850" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">USGS</a>

If you’re looking for a short trip, you can take out 4.5 miles downstream at the Halfway Road access (completed in 2018), which sits at the midway point between the dam and the town of Greenville.&nbsp;If you have the time though, it’s highly recommended to continue to the take out at New Hamburg, which was developed by the Shenango River Watchers and its partners in 2014.

Paddling Class:&nbsp;I (Easy)

<a href="https://waterdata.usgs.gov/pa/nwis/uv?site_no=03102850" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gauge at Transfer</a>.&nbsp;For a pleasant trip, gauge height there should be above 2.5 feet..

You’ll pass under two historic covered bridges: the Barronvale Bridge and Kings Covered Bridge, which just above your take out and under the ownership and care of Middlecreek Township, Somerset County. CADF funding was used to stabilize the streambank and improve the parking area.

Kiskiminetas &amp; Conemaugh Rivers from Tunnelton to Avonmore, PA

Pine Creek, surrounded by high, forested ridges, flows through&nbsp;<a href="http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/stateforests/tiadaghton/" target="_blank">Tiadaghton State Forest</a>&nbsp;for much of its length, nestled in the&nbsp;<a href="http://pawilds.com/" target="_blank">Pennsylvania Wilds</a>. The state forest name is of Iroquois Indian origin and means “River of Pine,” which is apparent from the moment you set foot, or boat, in the Pine Creek Valley.&nbsp;

This trip begins near the base of Pymatuning Dam, near the picnic area and accessible fishing pier.&nbsp;This site was improved in 2016 through a partnership between the state park and the Shenango River Watchers.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/PymatuningStatePark/Pages/default.aspx" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pymatuning</a>

The River Watchers is an active organization and regularly hosts seasonal Paddle Fests.&nbsp;Its projects also include environmental education, river and aquatic life research, cleanup and recycling as well as creating recreational opportunities.

This 5.5-mile trip features mostly fast, flowing water with some ledges and fairly open rapids. Your take out is on river-right, just past the curving Great Allegheny Passage trail bridge.

A canoe access launch site on the Cheat River was built by Friends of the Cheat with funds from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy's Canoe Access Development Fund. The new launch makes it easier for paddlers to enjoy this beautiful waterway.

A Day On The Cheat River - 2019

The sites on this trip were among the first funded by WPC in 2009. CADF funds were used to improve and stabilize the parking areas, improve site drainage and recontour existing accesses. The previous accesses at these sites were usable, but eroding and unvegetated. By changing the angle of approach of the access, it is more durable and resistant to high flows. This design-model has been used by the CADF program at other sites across the Commonwealth.

Additional information on paddling Pine Creek can be found on the&nbsp;<a href="http://fishandboat.com/watertrails/pine/pine_trail_guide.pdf" target="_blank">Pine Creek Water Trail map</a>.

Take Out:&nbsp;Avonmore

Paddling Class:&nbsp;I-II (Easy to Beginner)&nbsp;

Paddling Class:&nbsp;I-II (Easy to Beginner)

Once you leave Garrett, the only sign of civilization is the railroad tracks that run alongside the river. The first half of the trip has almost continuous rapids of Class I and easy Class II paddling. After approximately 3 miles, the gradient tapers and flowing water carries you into Rockwood, Pa.

Paddling Class:&nbsp;II-III (Beginner to Experienced)

&nbsp;Additional information on paddling the Casselman River can be found on the WPC’s&nbsp;<a href="http://waterlandlife.org/assets/casselman_river_boating_and_recreation_guide.pdf" target="_blank">Casselman River Boating and Recreation Guide</a>.

&nbsp;This improvement project at&nbsp;Harnedsville&nbsp;shares its parking area with the rail trail. In 2015, the CRWA developed a trail to the water’s edge, complemented by a sandstone stairway through the steepest section to the river.

This beginner-friendly trip highlights the access work of the Shenango River Watchers.

As you paddle downstream, you quickly become immersed in the waterway, especially if you’re riding in a poke boat, a small kayak that leaves you positioned just above the water surface. Abundant wildlife share the corridor and wildflowers line the bank.

The&nbsp;Fort Hill&nbsp;site is located adjacent to a narrow bridge over the Casselman which previously served as a dangerous and undersized parking area. Thanks to the generous agreement of the landowner on the northern side of the road, Casselman River Watershed Association (CRWA) developed a gravel parking area and access trail to the river. CRWA later added a change house for boaters, developing an amenity that is safer and more functional than ever before.

Use our map to explore the region's water access sites funded by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy's Canoe Access Development Fund

start

&nbsp;More experienced paddlers will certainly enjoy this trip on the Casselman River, which flows from one of the CADF’s first project locations at Fort Hill&nbsp;to a more recent access point in Harnedsville, Pa.

Whitewater on the Casselman River: Two Trips on the River

Recommended levels for this trip are between 3.0-6.7 feet (gage height) on the&nbsp;<a href="http://waterdata.usgs.gov/pa/nwis/uv?site_no=03044000" target="_blank">USGS Gage at Tunnelton</a>&nbsp;for the section of the Conemaugh River. Paddling the Kiski River requires a gage height between 3.5 feet and 8.2 feet per the&nbsp;<a href="http://waterdata.usgs.gov/pa/nwis/uv?site_no=03048500" target="_blank">USGS gage in Vandergrift</a>.

The original access in Garrett, Pa.&nbsp;was a loose, steep trail that ended in rough water behind an old bridge abutment. This location was moved upstream to a large natural sandstone “patio.” This massive geologic feature offers the unique characteristic of providing easy access to the river regardless of the river level. Through the CADF, improvements were made to build a sustainable, user-friendly trail from the existing parking area.

<h2>Floating the River of Pine</h2>

Paddling Class:&nbsp;B/C (Flatwater)

Additional information on paddling the Shenango River can be found on the <a href="http://shenangoriverwatchers.org/shenango-river-watershed-map/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Shenango River Water Trail map</a> housed on the Shenango River Watchers website.

Take Out: Halfway Road or New Hamburg

&nbsp;This trip begins on the Conemaugh River at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.indianacountyparks.org/parks/tunnelview_park/default.aspx" target="_blank">Tunnelview Historic Site</a>, a 16-acre site owned and operated by Indiana County Parks and Trails. Using CADF funds in 2010, site improvements include developing a larger parking lot and improving drainage. Tunnelview Historic Site is an interesting place on its own, so allow some time to explore the area before launching your canoe.

The Conemaugh River joins Loyalhanna Creek at Saltsburg, Pa. to form the Kiskiminetas River. For a shorter paddle on the Conemaugh, you may take out in Saltsburg. But for this trip, we suggest continuing on to Avonmore, PA.&nbsp;

Distance:&nbsp;6.3 miles

Recommended levels for this trip are between 4.6 – 5.6 feet (gauge height) on the <a href="https://waterdata.usgs.gov/pa/nwis/uv?site_no=03101500" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">USGS</a>

Begin your float at Gamble Run a few miles upstream of the village of Slate Run. A good point of reference for this access is the Brown Township Volunteer Fire Company building, which is off of Route 414 between Slate Run and Cedar Run. Parking is available at the put-in, thanks to the work of Tiadaghton State Forest.

Take Out:&nbsp;Hamilton Bottom