Hello,
This will be my first time dispersed camping at Allegheny National Forest. I will be driving from Cleveland Ohio.
Does anyone have any recommendations on which spot to go to? Or a good area to search for spots?
Also any specific trails or things I should see while I am out there.
Thanks in advance!
I agree, I just fished a section between westline and red Bridge yesterday; its definitely well stocked.
Another Ohioan here, from near Youngstown. I spend a good deal of time in the ANF and made a quick Google map with the commonly known dispersed camping areas.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=15yDRtutrCAc1kTBFZw4gvlw7ctEzNLaE&usp=sharing
Try a hike or bike ride through Buzzard Swamp. Check out Rimrock or Jake's Rocks.
Good luck.
Just drove from Cleveland to Tracy Ridge Area for an overnight this weekend. First time in ANF for me too and I'd recommend the area. Disperesed camping as well as two designated hike-in campgrounds there. Have a nice trip
You can camp anywhere barring a few spots that are listed online. There really isn't one spot that is amazing cause it's all good, but there are popular areas. Minister area dispersed camping is pretty popular. So is Jake's Rocks. There are some places in the Southern ANF that some people really love, but I can't remember the road numbers for them at the time. I remembered one had RV hookups, but there was a campsite that was down a set of stairs right by a creek.
I guess the things to see would be Minister Overlook, Rimrock Overlook, Jake's Rock Overlook... Those are all popular tourist places. I guess you could go look at the High Level Reservoir through the fence too, but you can't go in the fence. Kinzua Beach is cool, that's below Rimrock and the trail takes you to it.
You probably should figure what town you're going to be closest to for supplies, groceries and hospital. If you know which one you want to be near that would help.
I think you’re thinking of the spots along clarion river, and near Millstone
Maybe? It was tiny. I was working out of the HQ so in didn't get that far south that much.
Clarion River Trail near Belltown is first come first serve but you’re directly on the river. Most people are from Ohio.
I go there a few times a year (also from Cleveland). I rarely have a "plan" - typically I just drive along the forest roads and stop whenever I find something interesting (I'm a photographer, so there's lot of stops usually). Download the iOverlander app for your phone - there are a lot of solid "sites" that people will post along with photos and notes. I typically find a handful of potential sites and throw them into Google Maps. Be sure sure download offline maps since service is very spotty there.
Fill up before you go into the NF, and have a plug kit/air compressor if your tires are more road focused. The roads aren't too bad, but a couple of times I think I would've gotten a puncture if I didn't have Wildpeaks on my Forester, though I tend to push it to its limits a bit too much.
The riverside sites are really nice, but they tend to get filled up real quick on the weekends. I went there on a Thursday evening one summer and was able to pick from a few sites. By Friday mid-day, all of them along the stretch that I was staying at were full.
I grew up camping and visiting the ANF. We make several trips a year. AMA. Where are you looking to go? Are you coming across 90? Then you’ll be in the northern part of the forest. Are you looking for dispersed camping or campground? I know one campground that has some easy to walk to sites and I know of some dispersed camping sites. You could also stay in New York but I don’t have any idea about up there. I usually carry firearms, because I’m a girl and my bestie and I like to go alone, and New York doesn’t like firearms. How far do you want to travel from your campsitee to see things? Bradford would be closest town that I know of around the NY PA line. They have a decent selection of take out and grocery stores and a wonderful laundry mat that’s great for sudden storms that soak everything.
Awesome! Yeah I will be taking 90 for awhile. I am looking to disperse camp. I was told Jakes Rocks Road and Forest Road 160 had some awesome dispersed camping, but really open to anything. Just looking for a few things to do while I'm there over the weekend.
Cool. You’ll probably take route 86 in NY to get to 280. 280 turns into 346 in PA. FROM 346 you can jump on 321 south. That’s the road I always camp on. On 346 is willow bay campground. They have rent sites that are rustic and right on the water. They are “hike” in but it’s a really easy hike. There you’ll have access to vault toilets and showers down in the modern campground. On route 321 there is Tracy ridge campground which is all rustic campsites and vault toilets. If you keep going down 321 you’ll come up to a boat launch. Billie Hollow boat launch. Forest road 271, across the street from the boat launch, had a bunch of sites but none near water. If you continue down 321 past the boat launch there is an access road to the right. It’s not even a half mile away. The access road has a gate and I park there. You’ll see a path in the tall grass that will lead you to a bridge. Right before the right side of the bridge is a set of steps. Enjoy one of my favorite sites in the ANF. It is on the NCST trail so you might get visitors walking through. It’s also a popular site for locals to fish. Bradford will be your closest town for supplies and gas. The Zippo museum is also there. I prefer Rimrock to Jake’s Rocks but that’s just me. There’s Big Bend falls down near the damn and in the opposite direction the Kinzua sky bridge as kinda fun. Depending on how much you like walking up and down hills depends if you’d want to go to the bottom of the bridge. Morrison trail loop was a nice easy hike too.
Jake’s Rocks.
We camp there every summer.
Drive to the town of westline. Just before you get to the Inn, there is a gift shop. Turn left, there is 20 or thirty great marked sites on that forest road paralleling the creek. The other end of that road comes out at red Bridge campground, and bank fishing area (FR 150)? Google map it