Pymatuning State Park - Pennsylvania

 Because when you stop and look around, this life is pretty amazing.

- Unknown

During our 16-day camping trip visiting state parks in New York and Pennsylvania in July 2025 we visited Pymatuning State Park in the northwestern section of Pennsylvania. Below are the highlights of that trip.

Pymatuning State Park

Pymatuning State Park is huge. It stretches from Jamestown in the south, to Linesville in the north. At 16,892 acres, it's one of the largest state parks in Pennsylvania. Pymatuning Reservoir, which shares its borders with the neighboring state of Ohio, covers 17,088 acres and is the largest lake in Pennsylvania. In addition, Pymatuning State Park is one of the state’s most visited parks. There are a lot of recreational opportunities here, including boating, fishing, swimming, camping, and other recreational activities.

It's important to note here that there is also a Pymatuning State Park in Ohio on the western shore of the reservoir. Although we did drive across the causeway into Ohio so our granddaughter could add another state to the list of those she had been to, all of the places described in this post are located in Pennsylvania.

Camping

There are three campgrounds in the Pennsylvania side of the state park. The Linesville Campground is in the northern part of the park. The campground is pet-friendly and has a total of 80 electric, non-electric and full hook up sites. In addition, the campground has a sanitary dump station, a modern restroom with warm showers, a boat launch, a playground, a fish cleaning station, and laundry facilities.

The Jamestown Campground is the largest campground in the park. It's located on the south side of the reservoir. The campground is pet friendly and has a total of 318 electric, non-electric and full hookup sites, four of which are pull through sites. There's also a sanitary dump station, 6 modern bathhouses, a playground, beach, camp store, laundry facility, amphitheater, boat launch, fish cleaning station and transient boat dock.

The Tuttle Campground is located in the central part of the state park. It's pet friendly and most of the 109 sites are full hookup sites, two of which are pull through. The remaining sites have water and electric. There's one bathhouse, a modern restroom, sanitary dump station, an amphitheater, a boat launch, a fishing pier and a fish cleaning station. Unique to this campground is "A Great Gathering Friends and Family Site": a three-unit, full hookup site that accommodates a total of 15 people. There is also access to a beach, pavilion and playground along the campground entrance road.

Although we didn't stay in any of the campgrounds or drive through them to check them out, we'll definitely take them into consideration the next time we camp in the area. 

It's also important when planning to camp at Pymatuning, that there are additional campgrounds on the Ohio side of the reservoir. As mentioned previously, the information provided here only refers to the Pennsylvania State Park and Campgrounds.

Pymatuning Reservoir

Great Blue Heron

The main purpose of the Pymatuning Reservoir is to conserve the waters flowing into the Pymatuning Swamp and regulate the flow of the Shenango and Beaver Rivers. A secondary purpose is to contain flood water during periods of excessive runoff.

The reservoir is also open to boating. We could see pontoon boats, jet skis and all kinds of other boats in the reservoir. Watercraft can be rented from Espyville Boat Rental, Pymatuning Boat Rental, Jamestown Marina, and Linesville Marina.

Pymatuning Dam

The Pymatuning Dam is constructed of clay with a row of steel pilings driven into the bedrock at its center. It was constructed at a point where the surrounding hills came together to form a narrow valley. The dam extends 2,400 feet across the valley and has a maximum height of only 50 feet. The reservoir behind the dam is relatively shallow with an average depth of only 15 feet. At its deepest point near the dam, it's only about 30 to 35 feet deep. That's pretty amazing for a reservoir of this size!

The Gate House

The Gate House

The castle-like stone and concrete Gate House controls water flow through the dam. This historical structure was guarded during World War II. Today it serves as a site for weddings and wedding photography.

Spillway Area

Carp at the Linesville Spillway	Geese "walking" on the carp
Albino Carp

The Linesville Spillway has been a visitor attraction since its construction in 1934. Carp from the Shenango River gather at the spillway to feed on plant material, insect larvae, crayfish and other natural food as it's washed over the spillway bowl. Eventually, roadside vendors began to provide bread to tourists who fed the bread to the carp, which also drew ducks to the area. The tradition of feeding the fish became very popular and continues today, drawing over 400,000 visitors yearly. At times, the fish are so numerous that it looks like the ducks are walking on them to get some of the bread!

If you visit the spillway to feed the fish, it's requested that you only use bread or pellets, both of which can be purchased at the spillway concession stand. We were able to purchase our bread there, however it ran out quickly, so you might want to bring your own.

PA Fish and Boat Commission Hatchery

The Linesville State Fish Hatchery was built in1939 to raise warm water fish. The visitor center was opened in 1971. It has a two-story tall fish tank, mounts of state record fish, displays and information about reptiles and amphibians, and other exhibits. Outside on the grounds are 97 acres of ponds, raceways and a hatch house. The 2,500 acre Pymatuning Sanctuary, located behind the fish hatchery, is where brood stock is collected for spawning.

Aquarium inside the fish hatchery visitor center

Fingerling pond

We had a great time visiting Pymatuning State Park. We hope to return so we can camp in one of the campgrounds and spend some time on the lake.

To view a video of our visit to Pymatuning State Park, click here.

* All photos and videos are the property of the blog owners unless otherwise noted. *