The Pennsylvania Great Outdoors Visitors Bureau is pleased to announce the creation of the Sinnemahoning Water Trail in Cameron and Elk Counties, which provides a guide to the scenic Sinnemahoning Creek and its branches. This project was created as a joint effort between the Pennsylvania Great Outdoors Visitors Bureau, Eli Long from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Todd Deluccia from the Cameron County Conservation District, and Steve S. Putt from the Elk County Conservation District.

The new Sinnemahoning Water Trail offers paddlers more than 75 miles to explore through picturesque landscapes in Cameron and Elk Counties. Kayaking, canoeing, and fishing enthusiasts can spend the day in the heart of Pennsylvania’s Wild Elk Country as they paddle through the Bennett Valley, enjoy a scenic adventure in the Bucktail Natural Area in Driftwood Valley, and wonder at the beautiful Elk and Sproul State Forests in the Sinnemahoning Valley. The Bennett and Driftwood Branches of Sinnemahoning Creek begin as small streams high the mountains, and as they converge, they transform into beautiful calm rivers. In the town of Driftwood, the two branches join forces to form the mighty Sinnemahoning Creek, which is famous for outstanding paddling and fishing opportunities.

The full Sinnemahoning Water Trail comprises three separate segments that meet at Driftwood. The Bennett Branch Water Trail offers nearly 40 miles of paddling with six public launches located at Bennett Branch Forest, Blakeslee Recreation Area, Benezette, Grant Bridge, Hicks Run, and Driftwood. On the Driftwood Branch Water Trail, kayakers and canoers can explore 20 miles of water with five public launches at Front Street Park, Cameron, Emporium Country Club, Sterling Run, and Driftwood. The Sinnemahoning Creek Water Trail runs 15.5 miles long with three public launches at Driftwood, Sinnemahoning, and Keating.

“I think everybody involved is passionate about creating public access on these waterways and helping both visitors and residents explore them,” says John Straitiff, executive director of the Pennsylvania Great Outdoors Visitors Bureau. “With the booming growth in kayaking across America, many people are looking for new and exciting waterways to explore. Public access is a huge factor in attracting these paddlers. We are excited to add the new Sinnemahoning Water Trail to our website, VisitPAGO.com, and to the water trails featured in our 2019 Welcome Guide.”

The water trail map would not have been possible without the prior efforts of many organizations like the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Bennett Branch Watershed Association, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Elk County Conservation District, Cameron County Conservation District, Headwaters Resource Conservation and Development Council, Lumber Heritage Region, and several local municipalities and officials. Through their work, watershed restoration projects have been implemented and many of the public launches were created.

The Pennsylvania Great Outdoors Visitors Bureau is a membership-based travel promotion organization serving five counties in northwest Pennsylvania: Jefferson, Elk, Clarion, Forest, and Cameron. The mission of the Pennsylvania Great Outdoors Visitors Bureau is to develop and initiate programs and marketing strategies with the specific intent of increasing overnight travel-related expenditures within its designated region and to create a cooperative effort to increase awareness of this region as an ultimate vacation destination.

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