Tioga-Hammond Lakes, Pennsylvania

The beauty of north-central Pennsylvania can be yours at Tioga-Hammond Lakes. Surrounded by lush forested ridges, the lake offers recreation for the entire family. Boating, fishing, hunting, water-skiing, camping, picnicking, nature walks, and the Visitor Information Center are just some of the recreational opportunities available.

Stay for the day or a week ... Ives Run on the east shores of Hammond Lake, with 685 surface acres of water, has it all. With its own boat launch and overnight mooring for campers, it's easy to spend time on the water. Fishing, picnicking, swimming (yes, there are dressing and shower facilities), various sport fields, and a volleyball court are close by. Visit our Display Gardens and learn about native trees, shrubs and flowers. There's also the mile-long Archery Trail with targets and two tree stands. Both are located near the Visitor Information Center.

In addition to 498 surface acres of water, Tioga Lake includes the Lambs Creek areas just a few miles north of Mansfield, Pennsylvania. Its secluded location offers a boater's paradise and great water-skiing opportunities. Picnic sites with horseshoe pits are close by. Hike the trails, bring a picnic lunch, and let yourself relax.

Day Use Facilities

Take advantage of our beautiful picnic sites or reserve one of our shelters for your family reunion, company picnic or neighborhood gathering. Ives Run, with its beach and grassy sunning area, is a great place for kids of any age. The Lambs Creek Area, located on the southern end of Tioga Lake, provides picnic facilities only.  Both of these facilities are opened daily, Memorial Day through Labor Day.  A fee chart can be found here.  Here visitors can indulge in activities such as:

       Swimming - On the east side of the day use area there is a grass beach with a concrete base swimming area.  The swimming area is marked with beach floats and buoys for swimmer safety.   A bathhouse and concession are located nearby.

       Boating - Tioga-Hammond Lakes, along with Cowanesque Lake, provide the best boating, whether you're in a pleasure boat, canoe, sailboat, or bass boat. Together they offer 2,268 acres of water with 32 miles of shoreline. There are no limits on boat size or horsepower, yet there are many quiet Slow, No Wake areas for those fishing, enjoying wildlife, or spotting a fishing Osprey. Five boat launching ramps are available for your use for a nominal launch fee. We also offer an annual pass.

       Picnicking - There are picnic facilities in various forms with nearby field sport facilities readily available to both day users and campers.  Contact the Park Office at (570) 835-5281 or by e-mail for information about reserving one of these popular shelters. 

      Hiking Trail - A hiker's paradise awaits you at Tioga-Hammond Lakes. Tioga Lake's 3.5 mile Hike & Bike Trail from Mansfield, Pennsylvania, to Lambs Creek Recreation Area, offers a hardened trail surface for a variety of trail use opportunities. Four trails, each offering a different trail experience can be accessed from Hammond Lake's Ives Run Recreation Area:

• The 1-mile long Archery Trail loop near the Visitor Information Center passes through rolling woodlands and overlooks a verdant wetland.
  
• The 2.6-mile long Railroad Grade Trail, between Ives Run and the hamlet of Holiday, follows an old Penn Central rail bed adjacent to sinuous Crooked Creek.
  
• The C. Lynn Keller Trail's 9 miles lifts you into a realm of upland game in the forests, overlooking Hammond Lake.
  
• The 1.3 mile Stephenhouse Trail loop, along the run of a small mountain stream, boasts a variety of northern hardwood trees.

In addition to the Cowanesque and Hammond Lake's trails, there is also the Mid State Trail linking the trails at Cowanesque and Hammond Lakes into a trail that will, in the near future, extend all the way through Pennsylvania from Maryland to New York State.

       Hunting - The fields and forests around Tioga-Hammond Lakes are popular destinations for local hunters as well as for hunters visiting the area from elsewhere in Pennsylvania or from out-of-state.  This area abounds with both large and small game species native to the United States' Eastern Hardwood Forests.  Hunting is permitted on project lands except in posted public use areas.  A Pennsylvania hunting license is required and hunters are subject to game laws.  In addition to the public lands at Cowanesque Lake and nearby Tioga-Hammond Lakes, Pennsylvania Gameland 37 is located between and adjacent to Tioga-Hammond Lakes.

       Fishing - Tioga-Hammond Lakes provide anglers more varied fishing opportunities than they can cast to. There are plenty of places to catch your limit -- shallow bays, quiet coves, and deep rocky points. Record crappie to giant musky, our lakes have a fish for everyone. Striped, largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye, and channel catfish are some of the fish you'll catch here. Over the years, there have been numerous stockings of various pan and game fish fingerlings and fry at the lake by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.  See our stocking summary for a complete listing of the fish stocked at the lake.  A Pennsylvania fishing license is required and fishermen are subject to state fish laws.

Overnight Facilities

Camping at the lakes is an experience to remember. You can choose shoreline sites, fairly open sites or wooded sites. Overnight facilities are available daily, April 20 through October 31, and are located at the Ives Run Area, on the south shore of Hammond Lake.

There are family camp sites which include hook-up for electric, water and sewer, and primitive hike-in sites.  The group camp sites are available by reservation.  Water hydrants are conveniently located throughout the campground.  Camping permits must be secured at the Tompkins Camp Control Building.  No one may camp more than 14 consecutive days in any 30 day period.  Campers and their visitors must park on campsite pads or campground parking lots only.  A dump station is provided.

For reservations, call the National Recreation Reservation Service, toll free at 877-444-6777, or contact www.Recreation.gov by computer.

Also available at the Tompkins Camping Area is:

       Swimming - A grass beach with a concrete bottom swimming area is provided.  The swimming area is marked with beach floats and buoys for swimmer safety.

       Boating - Camper boat launching and camper mooring facilities.

Most importantly, when visiting our lake:

• Obey posted rules, regulations and lake buoys.
  
• Look before you dive. It may be unsafe.
  
• Wear your PFD (life jacket).
  
• Inspect your boat's safety equipment before boating at night.
  
• Don't drive your boat after drinking. Alcohol and boating do not mix.
  
• Know how to swim, beaches are unguarded.

Park rangers are available to assist you in making your visit enjoyable and safe.

Local Points of Interest

To obtain maps, brochures, or other information contact:

Cowanesque/Tioga-Hammond Lakes
Operations Manager:  Marilyn Jones
Corps of Engineers
710 Ives Run Lane
Tioga, PA 16946-9733
Telephone: (570) 835-5281
FAX: (570) 835-5422
e-mail:   Tioga-HammondLakeWEB@usace.army.mil
OFFICE HOURS: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.