Allegheny Reservoir

The Kinzua Bridge was one the largest and tallest railroad bridge. It was constructed in 1882 and continued to have train traffic on it until 1959, then after not being used for 28 years  the Knox and Kane Railroad offered excursion passenger trains from Marienville (48 miles to the South by rail) to and across the bridge starting in 1987. These steam driven trains continued until 2002 and were the last trains to cross the bridge. A powerful tornado destroyed part of the bridge in 2003, but in 2009 they started construction of the Kinzua sky bridge. Now visitors from all over can still walk on part of the old railroad bridge that was originally constructed and be more than 300 feet high! 

Come out to Bradford Pa and see where Zippo lighters and Case knives are made. This company has been in Bradford Pa since the 1930's The museum is free so there is no excuse not to come out and see a piece of history. Some of the exhibits are the impact that Zippo had during WWII, and Zippo's role in the music industry. When you come to the Allegheny Reservoir make time to come to Bradford, This is a must see attraction!

Ranger stations are located in two locations: Bradford, Pa and Marienville, Pa. They are open Monday thru Friday from 8a - 4:30p. At the ranger stations people can purchase ATV permits which are required to ride on the trails throughout the Allegheny National Forest. They also have topographic maps, regional information and a small gift shop.

https://www.fs.fed.us/sopa/state-level.php?pa The Allegheny National Forest ranges from Tionesta Pa all the way to Salamanca NY. It is approx 517,000 acres with 600 miles of multi-use trails. This national forest offers four seasons of recreations. Come out and enjoy camping, hunting, fishing, boating, snowmobiling, etc. 

As a child my family would head to the Allegheny reservoir at least once a summer for our family camping trip. We would load up the truck, attach the boat and drive the three and half hours to spend two weeks in the beautiful woods surrounded by 99 miles of shoreline. My Dad and mom would reserve a campsite along the shoreline so our boat could stay in the water the whole time and we would spend our days driving the boat around exploring, tubing, swimming, and snorkeling. My favorite place to visit was a cove way down from our campsite. This cove was paradise, it had shade all around and was deep enough to dive off the boat and enjoy a fabulous swim. If we got tired of swimming, we could swim to shore and explore the land and see if we could find any animal tracks. We would stay out all day swimming, laughing and playing. Coming up to the reservoir is my favorite childhood memory .

The Allegheny reservoir is a huge man-made lake that is surrounded by 99 miles of shoreline. It covers  21,180 acres. People can bring any type of boat from a speed boats, house boats, to canoes and kayaks. There are some rules that everyone must follow:  Persons shall wear a Coast Guard approved personal flotation device at all times when on board boats less than 16 feet in length or any canoe or kayak. Boats are limited to slow, no wake speed in the following areas: - In the vicinity of camping areas and boat launch areas. - Dew Drop Bay. - Wolf Run Bay. - Hodge Bay, North and South Branch. - Cornplanter Bay. - Billies Bay. - Willow Bay beginning at the boat launch ramp

The Allegheny reservoir is a man-make lake that was made with the construction of the Kinzua Dam in 1965. This Dam regulates water flow that saves towns south and the City of Pittsburgh from flooding. The building of the dam was authorized through Congress as a flood control measure with the Flood Control Acts of 1936 and 1938. Along with the construction of the Dam and reservoir there was some problems. There were towns and an Indian Reservation that had been claimed by imminent domain. 

Wildlife Encounters I have spent more then 15 years camping at Willow Bay Campground with my family. We have definetly seen some awesome animals up and around that area. Depending where our campsite was, was the type of animals we seen. One year our campsite was covered in little black frogs. Our site was right by the water and they were everywhere. The first year my husband joined us he heard something and went to investigate the noise and an arms length away was a raccoon. I don't know who what more scared him or the poor raccoon. Needless to say he jumped over the fire to get away from him and the raccoon climbed up the tree. My most memorable experience was our first and only bear siting. That year a mother bear was hit by a vehicle and left a bear cub orphaned. The bear first visted my sisters campsite and found marshmallows, then that night the bear made his way to my campsite and licked our pans that we had made dinner on that evening. It was a good thing we locked our c

To ensure that you camping experience is pleasant and you do not go hungry, make sure your coolers and other food storage is locked up tight from animals. Watch the video to learn how to properly lock down a cooler.

Willow Bay has 101 sites in all. There are eleven electric cabins, 32 standard electric, 26 standard nonelectric and 32 walk-to sites. Some sites are nestled along the shore of the reservoir, while others have lots of sun and plenty of grass, either way you will not be disappointed.

Willow Bay is located within the Allegheny National Forest and is the closest campground to the New York line. This campground offers modern amenities, including flush toilets and hot showers. Visitors enjoy water sports, including boating, water skiing, swimming, and sailing on the lake that is more than 24 miles long. Come and visit today! You won’t be disappointed! http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMFGX4_Willow_Bay_Campground_Allegheny_National_Forest_McKean_County_Pennsylvania