Pennsylvania's Best Lakes and Waterfronts

Pennsylvania's waterfronts range from Philadelphia's Delaware River historic waterfront to the Allegheny Reservoir's forested shores to Erie's Lake Erie beaches.

Philadelphia Delaware River Waterfront
Penn's Landing (the historic riverfront) has undergone extensive redevelopment — the Race Street Pier, the Spruce Street Harbor Park, the Independence Seaport Museum (with the USS Olympia, the oldest steel warship afloat in the world, and the WWII submarine USS Becuna), and the South Street Bridge give riverfront access. The Delaware River Trail follows the eastern shore of Philadelphia.

Presque Isle State Park (Erie)
Pennsylvania's only significant freshwater beach — 11 beaches on Lake Erie's sandy peninsula. The lake's western basin warms significantly in summer; beach temperatures of 75°F water are common in July-August. The longest beach (Presque Isle Beach) is 1 mile; the protected Gull Point area has sensitive habitat for migratory shorebirds.

Pymatuning Reservoir (Linesville)
The largest lake in Pennsylvania — Pymatuning (70 square miles) straddles the Pennsylvania-Ohio border in Crawford County. The spillway at Linesville is famous for the "where ducks walk on fish" phenomenon — carp are so thick in the spillway that ducks walk across their backs. The reservoir is excellent for fishing (walleye, muskellunge, bass) and summer boating.

Raystown Lake (Huntingdon County)
Pennsylvania's largest lake entirely within the state — 8,300 acres in the Ridge and Valley province, surrounded by forested Appalachian ridges. The lake's clear water and forested shores make it the finest inland boating destination in Pennsylvania. Raystown's houseboat rentals, bass fishing, and the Seven Points Marina are the main draws.

Kinzua Reservoir (Allegheny National Forest)
The Allegheny Reservoir — 27 miles long, surrounded by the Allegheny National Forest. The reservoir inundated the Allegheny Seneca Nation's reservation in 1965 despite treaty guarantees — a significant historical wrong acknowledged by a federal apology. The Seneca Nation interpretive center tells this history.