Take it on the Rocks in ANF Region

By Sandra Rhodes
Visitor & Member Services

The Allegheny National Forest Region really rocks! Two overlooks in the Allegheny National Forest offer fantastic views of the Allegheny Reservoir and are also a part of a great trail system right in the midst of Trail Central.

What makes the Allegheny National Forest rock even more is that it’s free and open to travelers from all over, welcoming them to northcentral Pennsylvania.

Rimrock Overlook, located off Route 59, is a magnificent rock outcrop that offers a breathtaking view 200 feet above the Kinzua Creek arm of the Allegheny Reservoir. But Rimrock offers much more than views. A short trail system takes you down a rock staircase through a narrow crevasse and past spectacular cliffs boulders and deep fractures that emit cold air.

This area is also a hotspot for viewing the mountain laurel, the state flower of Pennsylvania, in full bloom the end of June.

Once you get back on the road, you have the opportunity to travel one of the best scenic drives in the United States, as covered by USA Today.

Bring your camera, according to USA Today, the views along the Longhouse National Scenic Byway are “awe-inspiring” as you travel routes 59 and 321. The byway was Pennsylvania’s representative of the best byways in the country. Breathtaking views of the hardwood forest and Allegheny Reservoir are a photographer’s dream.

Another impressive rock outcrop is Jake’s Rocks, a huge expanse of conglomerate bedrock exposed high above the reservoir, which includes views of the Kinzua Dam.

The overlook at Jake’s Rocks encompasses the big bend in the Allegheny River valley just above the Kinzua Dam. Just 50 years ago, this area was dry land known as the town of Kinzua. This area was flooded to make way for the Kinzua Dam.

Kinzua Beach, located on Route 59, is the perfect place to enjoy the sand and surf with a view of the Morrison Bridge, which spans the reservoir. The beach is just a stone’s throw away from Docksiders Café which offers waterfront dining on the Allegheny Reservoir. The café is open seven days a week.

Live entertainment on the deck on Sunday afternoons allows you to rock away the end of the weekend.

Another fantastic place to view rocks is Rock City Park, located on Route 16 just outside of Olean, N.Y.

Rock City Park is a prehistoric ocean floor called ocean spar and is the largest formation of this type in the world. This field of unusual boulders was formed during the

Pennsylvanian Period, about 320 million years ago. Allow at least 30 minutes to walk through the trail. The park is open seven days a week until Oct. 31.

On July 16, Bradford will rock in a different way.

After the Kids and Cancer Benefit Run, which takes motorcyclists on a trek through the Allegheny National Forest, participants and visitors will take part in a block party held on Mechanic Street, Bradford, as bands rock into the night.

The motorcyclists take off from the Zippo/Case Museum, located on Zippo Drive, at noon. Registration starts at 9 a.m.; feel free to take a look inside the museum while you are there. Zippo Manufacturing Co., the home of the Zippo lighter, has a great connection to rock ‘n roll, including lighters with images of Elvis Presley.

For more information on these events and attractions plus a free travel guide and map, call the Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau at 800-473-9370 or visit www.visitANF.com.

Pictured, Rimrock Overlook, located on Route 59, in the Allegheny National Forest. This overlook provides great views of the Allegheny Reservoir and well as Mountain Laurel, which should be just about to bloom. Kinzua Beach, which offers a beach experience not that far from home. It’s also a stone’s throw from Docksiders Café.
Photos courtesy of the Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau