Any advice on camping in this area? The mother earth news fair is in northern pennsylvania this year so we hope to do some dispersed camping while there.
Allegheny nat'l forest Pennsylvania
- Thread starter SKMayers
- Start date
bear_den_overland
Rank III
Off-Road Ranger I
If your on Facebook track down the Pittsburgh Overlanders page. Make a post there and maybe present the option to reply in private messages. I think you will find some info.
this is the one to look for.
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If you have a GPS app you use, check the Motor Vehicle Use Map (USDA) tiled overlay. It will show you the trails you can be on.
You can also download the map from the forest service or get it at any of the visitor centers in the area. Avenza Maps also has the map for free.
As far as campsites, I could give you ideas, but from last experience with the mother earth news fair being near this area, and the free camping opportunity...you are gonna just have to drive and find. It seems it is a real unpopular time for people trying to find a campsite up there. Thanks for the reminder to avoid the area...lol.
Be sure to check out the Facebook page that was mentioned and also check out WNY Overland | Facebook
You can find a wealth if information on YouTube also. I always look for shared Coordinates and add them to my map.
You can also download the map from the forest service or get it at any of the visitor centers in the area. Avenza Maps also has the map for free.
As far as campsites, I could give you ideas, but from last experience with the mother earth news fair being near this area, and the free camping opportunity...you are gonna just have to drive and find. It seems it is a real unpopular time for people trying to find a campsite up there. Thanks for the reminder to avoid the area...lol.
Be sure to check out the Facebook page that was mentioned and also check out WNY Overland | Facebook
You can find a wealth if information on YouTube also. I always look for shared Coordinates and add them to my map.
The nat'l forest is about an hour or more away depending on where you go in the forest. The fair is on lake erie at the convention center so we'll be far away (i'd think??) from all the hustle and bustle crowds :-) Thanks for the input I really appreciate you taking the time to help!
Pennsylvania switched from free state forest camping to a fee. With Allegheny still being free, a lot of people will be heading there this season.
An Hour away is the same as 10 minutes here in God's Country. People will travel 4 plus Hours from the city centers in the east just to spend one night.
With people coming from states away for the fair...it will be crowded.
Best of luck.
If you get to checking these maps and groups out and got any specific questions. Let me know.
I hadn't considered that and maybe that's good for our commute, I suppose. I'll definitely update here when we tentatively nail something down. Thanks.
Explorer I
Thank you so much. We are coming in from the south. What is the best road in from the south in your opinion to pass thru the forest? We will be looking for sites on the northern edge since we will be visiting the mother earth news fair on the shores of lake erie that weekend. Thanks again!
Explorer I
Well, depending on where exactly you'll be coming from.....if you're getting off of Interstate 80.....Rt. 66 up through would be your best bet. It's a very large National Forest, so your options are vast as far as what section and where you come in.
Do you have a specific area of the National Forest you want to stay??
Do you have a specific area of the National Forest you want to stay??
Explorer I
Also, depending on the area, I can most likely make some suggestions for specific campsites to check out. I've explore probably 80% of the National Forest via forestry rds.
Wow that sounds awesome. It seems that somewhere around the kinzua area might be ideal for us to explore camping spots and still be able to drive out and back to camp from the fair. We're coming from louisiana and I haven't 100% committed to a route in yet. I just know i want to stay on the northern edge (central northern) so we are not to far from where the fair is held at the bayfront convention center on the shores of lake erie at: 1 Sassafras Pier, Erie, PA 16507. I'm going to use gaia gps to plan my route probably this upcoming week.
Explorer I
Okay, well, the Kinzua Reservoir area is definitely a good choice, especially since you'll be traveling to Erie and back. Now, just a heads up, from the Kinzua area to Erie, is about an hour and half give or take.
But, I live just over the hill from the Kinzua Reservoir, so I can definitely make some suggestions.
Is there somewhere on the northern edge that would still have good dispersed spots and get me closer to erie? I know it's kind of a "I want my cake and eat it too" situation, lol. Just trying to minimize commute time and maximize time in the forest too. If that is possible.
Explorer I
I would say for ease of access to main highways to get you to Erie, the Kinzua Reservoir area is probably your best bet. There are some areas a little closer to Erie a little bit to the Western part of the forest, but it most likely won't take much time off of your commute. Alot of the far western sections I haven't explored a whole lot.
Yea thats what i seem to find looking at the gps. What are the best forest roads in that area to explore for the best spots with flowing water near?
Explorer I
There's a couple areas off the top of my head. Sites that I've stayed at personally. I can send you some GPX files if I can figure out how to do it on here.
I'll give you FR #'s to give you an idea though.
On FR365, near Four Mile Run, there's a couple nice spots in the bottom next to water.
On FR321, there are multiple sites along Kinzua Creek. Some with vehicle access, some are walk in access from the road.
Explorer I
That is awesome! All I had to do was add your link to my saved waypoints and voila! I can't express my appreciation enough here. thanks a buncha bunch!GaiaGPS - FR365 Site 3
www.gaiagps.com
Explorer I
Good deal. I can post some others for you, I can take a ride down to the sites to get the specific GPS locations. They're not too far from my house.That is awesome! All I had to do was add your link to my saved waypoints and voila! I can't express my appreciation enough here. thanks a buncha bunch!GaiaGPS - FR365 Site 3
