Boating

Enjoy the Water – Canoes, Runabouts, House Boats

Whether your boating interests are canoes, runabouts or house boats, McKean County will put you on the water.
 
Allegheny Reservoir
 
McKean County is the eastern gateway to the beautiful Allegheny Reservoir. Forested hills surround 99 miles of shoreline. Stretching from the Kinzua Dam, through the Allegheny National Forest, and across the New York border onto the Seneca Nation of Indians, it is 12,000 acres of pure getaway.
 
Launch and camp on developed sites at Willow Bay or Kiasutha, or cruise to boat/hiking access-only campgrounds from Elijah Run. Houseboats can spend the night in numerous secluded bays. Sugar Bay is a popular area for houseboat camping and canoeing because of speed restrictions.
 
For a completely different look at McKean County waterways, try canoeing on the Allegheny River. The river flows 27 miles through a relatively broad valley across the northeast corner of McKean County. Scout the bridges for launching and pull-out points.
 
This part of the Allegheny River is suitable for novice canoeists, although it is not without challenges. Long flat-water stretches are interrupted by generally mild riffles. Fallen trees occasionally become obstacles. Depending on river flow, you might have to get out of your canoe and wade through shallow stretches.
 
Though paralleled by two-lane highways, the dense bottomland forest buffers river voyagers from most signs of civilization. Bring your camera and fishing rod. Muskellunge, bass, and catfish lurk in the water. Waterfowl nest along the banks, and in numerous wetlands and ponds in the bottomland. Mink, raccoons, and beavers feed along the shoreline. White-tailed deer hide in the thick cover.
 
Want to Know More?

Kinzua Wolf Run Marina
Marilla Reservoir
Willow Bay