By Carol Fisher Linn
One of the largest dams east of the Mississippi is next door in nearby Warren County, PA.
Kinzua – In the Seneca-Iroquois Nation, “Kinzua” is written as Tgëhjowa (tgenh-joh-wawh!) which translates as “fish on a spear”.
The Spring weather brings out the wanderlust in us. Trees are budding and greening up, flowering trees are putting on their best show, and leeks, ferns, trillium and happy yellow wild mustard and birds foot trefoil line the roadways. With so much going on, who wants to be stuck inside when a ride into nature cures the blahs and winter ills? It’s time to hop into the car, take a drive through the countryside and head to Warren, Pennsylvania, about an hour away from Ellicottville, even closer to Jamestown. Here wanderers will find the mighty Kinzua Dam, one of the largest dams east of the Mississippi River. The dam provides flood control and hydro-electric power generation, along with creating The Allegheny Reservoir, the second deepest lake in Pennsylvania.
The 2026 “season” begins May 22 when the Kinzua Point Information Center is staffed seasonally by the Warren County Visitors Bureau to provide information (brochures, maps) about the forest and other local attractions. During the summer season, Wi-Fi access is available. Located near the Kinzua Dam, and across from Longhouse National Scenic By-way, the information center looks out over the expansive Allegheny Reservoir. Open Fridays through Sundays 10am-4pm, visitors will find flush toilets, potable water from the faucets, picnic tables and a spectacular view of the Allegheny Reservoir.
Even in the off season, the dam is a very interesting place to visit. Visitors are allowed to walk out onto a portion of the dam to enjoy the surrounding beauty and take magnificent photos. If that is your goal, pre-season is the best time to go so you might have the dam to yourself.
Please do not confuse the Dam with the Kinzua Bridge Skywalk which is a few miles away, a spectacular experience, but, ALAS, closed for repairs until 2027. However, the Skywalk park’s visitors center and observation decks, trails, and playground will continue to be open. For the real thrill of walking on the “glass” deck, you’ll have to wait until the 2027 sea-son. Worth the wait. Put it on your bucket list. It is safe but scary cool.
Meanwhile, if you’re itching to put your boat or kayak into the water, the Kinzua Wolf Run Marina, Onoville and several other boat launches offer access to the 12,000 acre Allegheny Reservoir for fishing, motor boating or kayaking. Interested in fishing? The Allegheny Reservoir is a premier destination for large trophy-quality fish (walleye, northern pike).
In warmer weather, head to Kinzua Beach for a roped off swimming area with a concrete bottom (imagine, no squishy goop between your toes!) and a nearby picnic area.
Hikers will be overjoyed discovering flora and fauna and bird watchers have a very good chance of seeing bald eagles, great blue herons, osprey, red-tails and the ubiquitous turkey vultures. Pick out the mighty eagles by their flight pattern, which is slow, straight-line flying with heads protruding significantly (wings are like a flat board – no V-shape, and adults have a bright white head and tail – picture a white “cross” in the sky). Incidentally, we see eagles these days thanks to the NYS DEC which, in 1976 brought in eaglets from other states since we were down to one unproductive nest in all of NYS in 1970.
Scenic overlooks include Rimrock Overlook for panoramic scenes of the reservoir and surrounding nature. A short walk up wooden stairs will lead you to the viewing area on top of a gigantic rockface where one can see forever, or so it might seem. The view is stunning.
For the bikers and hikers, nearby Jakes Rocks is on a steep, high cliff with 20 mountain bike trails. Here is where visitors can enjoy the views and marvel at the prehistoric massive rock formations overlooking the Reservoir. Prefer to drive? There is a paved, one-way 1.5 mile loop road (Forest Road 492) accessed from the Longhouse Scenic byway which leads parking for the scenic overlook. Cell service is generally available here. When you plan your visit, it would be wise to research the area beforehand so you get to see the things you are hoping to see.
Do you have a hankering to see waterfalls? You’ll find those in the Allegheny Forest at Bent Run Falls off the Bent Run Trail which is a few minutes east and almost directly across from the Kinzua Dam on Route 59. It’s a hike-in event (30-40 minute hike) with a steep 0.9 mile out and back trail. It is short, steep and slippery with the best time to see is immediately after a heavy rain. Easy for goats and sure-footed people.