Army Corps of Engineers · Tionesta Lake · Tionesta, PA

Outflow Recreation Area

Half of Forest County, where Tionesta Lake is located, is preserved as public lands. The region is known as one of Pennsylvania's best big game regions and is home to a remarkable variety of wildlife. Campers come to the Outflow Recreation Area Campground to enjoy the forested area along Tionesta Creek. The area is ideal for fishing, hunting as well as scenic hiking. Tionesta is a culturally rich region with a long history. The Seneca Indian tribe named this area "where the water separates the land." Nearly a century ago, narrow gauge railways dotted the surrounding countryside, hauling out virgin timber from the hillsides.

More like this: electric hookups in Pennsylvania · reservable in Pennsylvania · big rigs in Pennsylvania · pets allowed in Pennsylvania · group sites in Pennsylvania

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
OutflowOUTFLOW RECREATION AREA (PA)Dam OutflowRules
Photos courtesy of USACE Tionesta · Recreation.gov

Site mix

Tent-only16
Standard with electric5
Standard, no hookups4
group shelter electric1
Host/management1
Most sites here open on Recreation.gov six months ahead, at 10 a.m. Eastern. Sold out is not final: cancellations come back into the pool, most of them two to three days out. How to catch one

Site guide

26 sites in 2 loops. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SiteLoopTypeEntryPowerWater / sewerPeople / vehiclesFiresAccessible
2011StandardNoNo / –8 / 2Yes
2021StandardNoNo / –8 / 2Yes
2031StandardNoNo / –8 / 2Yes
2041Tent onlyNoNo / –8 / 2Yes
2051Tent onlyNoNo / –8 / 2Yes
2061Tent onlyNoNo / –8 / 2Yes
2071Tent onlyNoNo / –8 / 2Yes
2081ElectricPull-through30/50/20 ampYes / Yes8 / 2Yes
2091ElectricPull-through20/30/50 ampYes / Yes8 / 2Yes
2101ElectricPull-through20/30/50 ampYes / Yes8 / 2Yes

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 02:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

HookupsElectric, water
Max vehicle length99 ft
EquipmentRVs & trailers, Tents
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions
AccessibilitySite Outflow Shelter is listed accessible

Each campsite has picnic table and fire ring *Available starting Memorial Day Weekend - Water, flush toilets, and showers. dump station located nearby* To Labor Day Weekend

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Outflow Recreation Area20°30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 3.32 inches of precipitation, 14.5 inches of snowFebruary: 2.56 inches of precipitation, 10.4 inches of snowMarch: 3.48 inches of precipitation, 7.8 inches of snowApril: 4.13 inches of precipitation, 1.0 inches of snowMay: 4.36 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 5.14 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 4.94 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 4.18 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 4.03 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 3.74 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowNovember: 3.47 inches of precipitation, 3.6 inches of snowDecember: 3.71 inches of precipitation, 13.3 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 27.0°F averageFebruary: 28.3°F averageMarch: 36.3°F averageApril: 48.2°F averageMay: 59.1°F averageJune: 67.9°F averageJuly: 71.9°F averageAugust: 70.6°F averageSeptember: 63.9°F averageOctober: 52.5°F averageNovember: 41.3°F averageDecember: 32.1°F average0 in5 in10 in15 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Tionesta 2 SE Lake, less than a mile from the campground at 1,200 feet, station USC00368873 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 47 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 51 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

From Pittsburgh take I-79 North. Merge onto I-80 East exit 116a toward Clarion for 9.8 miles. Take the PA-8 exits 29 toward Barkeyville. Turn Left onto Pa-8/State Route 8 for 16.4 miles. Turn right on US-62 and follow US-62 for 34 miles. Turn right onto 36 South in to Tionesta.

Nearest townTionesta, Pennsylvania
Coordinates41.4801° N, 79.4431° W · Directions ↗

Supplies & services

Outdoor gearFisher and Father ↗16.5 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗26.7 mi
RV sales & serviceRV sales & service ↗39.8 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Video

Outflow Camping Area Campground Tour Confluence, Pennsylvania

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

Allegheny National Forest begins about 5.7 miles away, and it is the closest of these.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

Natural features

Tionesta Lake winds its way through the rugged hills of northwestern Pennsylvania. Surrounding public areas include the Allegheny National Forest, Cooks Forest State Park, Cornplanter and Clear Creek State Forests, the state fish hatchery and state game lands.

Recreation

In-season hunting, fishing, boating, hiking and water skiing, are all available from Tionesta. Visitors interested in wildlife viewing are likely to spot white-tailed deer, porcupine, wild turkey, osprey and opossum.

Nearby

Tionesta Creek Road, which winds through the Tionesta Creek valley upstream of the dam, is an excellent scenic drive with spectacular views. The nearby Allegheny National Forest also makes a great day trip.

Guidebooks for Pennsylvania

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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Outflow Recreation Area?

Sites at Outflow Recreation Area are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Outflow Recreation Area?

Check-in 02:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Outflow Recreation Area have?

27 sites, including 16 tent-only sites, 5 standard sites with power, 4 standard sites without power, and 1 group shelter electric.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Outflow Recreation Area?

Recreation.gov lists no practical vehicle capacity limit for the largest site here, which usually means pull-through or open parking. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.

Source: Will my RV fit

Does Outflow Recreation Area have hookups?

Yes, electric and water hookups at some sites.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are there showers or a dump station at Outflow Recreation Area?

Each campsite has picnic table and fire ring *Available starting Memorial Day Weekend - Water, flush toilets, and showers.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are pets allowed at Outflow Recreation Area?

Yes, pets are allowed at Outflow Recreation Area. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Outflow Recreation Area?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are there accessible sites at Outflow Recreation Area?

Site Outflow Shelter is listed accessible on Recreation.gov. What that covers (a paved pad, an accessible table, a nearby accessible restroom) is on each site's booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is there cell service at Outflow Recreation Area?

FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G at the campground point. Terrain changes that from one site to the next.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

What is there to do at Outflow Recreation Area?

In-season hunting, fishing, boating, hiking and water skiing, are all available from Tionesta. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Outflow Recreation Area?

Tionesta, Pennsylvania. Tionesta Creek Road, which winds through the Tionesta Creek valley upstream of the dam, is an excellent scenic drive with spectacular views.

Source: Getting there