PITTSBURGH DISTRICT

Fees of up to $5/day are charged at many U.S. Army Corps of Engineers day use areas, including beaches and boat launching ramps. 

An annual pass that allows visitors to avoid having to pay day use fees each time they visit is available at the Park Manager’s Office at any site where these fees are charged. The Corps of Engineers Annual Day Use Pass, consisting of month and year stickers affixed to a plastic tag that is to be hung from the rearview mirror, is valid for 12 months from the month of purchase and is available at a cost of $40 per pass.  Corps of Engineers Annual Day Use passes can be purchased at the following lakes: East Branch Clarion River Lake, Tionesta Lake, Shenango River Lake, Berlin Lake, Crooked Creek Lake, Loyalhanna Lake and Youghiogheny River Lake.

As of January 1, 2016, Golden Age/Access Passport holders and America the Beautiful - the National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Senior Pass and Access Pass holders cannot purchase an annual pass at half price.  Duplicate passes will no longer be sold because the hang tag may be used on any vehicle the pass holder owns.  However, more than one Annual Day Use Pass can be purchased at full price if desired. The plastic tag is to be used for multiple years, with new month and year stickers applied each year.

Annual passes allow entry to any U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operated day use areas nationwide during the 12-month period in which they are valid. Annual passes do not allow entry to campgrounds or result in reduced camping fees. Passes will not be replaced if lost or stolen.

Many campsites at four Pittsburgh District lakes – Berlin Lake, Shenango River Lake, Tionesta Lake and Youghiogheny River Lake – can be reserved in advance through the National Recreation Reservation Service(NRRS), an interagency one-stop center for recreation reservations operated by ReserveAmerica.  Reservations can be made up to six months before arrival by calling the NRRS toll-free at 1-877-444-6777 or through their web site www.Recreation.gov.  Campsites at all other Pittsburgh District lakes, as well as other campsites at Berlin, Shenango, Tionesta and Youghiogheny, are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Fees of up to $5/day are charged at many U.S. Army Corps of Engineers day use areas, including beaches and boat launching ramps. 

An annual pass that allows visitors to avoid having to pay day use fees each time they visit is available at the Park Manager’s Office at any site where these fees are charged. The Corps of Engineers Annual Day Use Pass, consisting of month and year stickers affixed to a plastic tag that is to be hung from the rearview mirror, is valid for 12 months from the month of purchase and is available at a cost of $40 per pass.  Corps of Engineers Annual Day Use passes can be purchased at the following lakes: East Branch Clarion River Lake, Tionesta Lake, Shenango River Lake, Berlin Lake, Crooked Creek Lake, Loyalhanna Lake and Youghiogheny River Lake.

As of January 1, 2016, Golden Age/Access Passport holders and America the Beautiful - the National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Senior Pass and Access Pass holders cannot purchase an annual pass at half price.  Duplicate passes will no longer be sold because the hang tag may be used on any vehicle the pass holder owns.  However, more than one Annual Day Use Pass can be purchased at full price if desired. The plastic tag is to be used for multiple years, with new month and year stickers applied each year.

Annual passes allow entry to any U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operated day use areas nationwide during the 12-month period in which they are valid. Annual passes do not allow entry to campgrounds or result in reduced camping fees. Passes will not be replaced if lost or stolen.

 

Corps Park Rangers working at District lakes present a variety of programs to the public geared toward environmental awareness and enhancing public understanding of the Corps and its missions.  Rangers and other District personnel also present similar programs at community events and schools where Bobber the Water Safety Dog – the District’s water safety mascot – is extremely popular.

Beginning January 1, 2016, the public will be able to obtain Interagency America the Beautiful passes at the following Pittsburgh District lakes: East Branch Clarion River Lake, Tionesta Lake, Shenango River Lake, Berlin Lake, Crooked Creek Lake, Loyalhanna Lake, Conemaugh River Lake, Youghiogheny River Lake and Tygart Lake. The Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014, signed into law on June 10, 2014, granted the Secretary of the Army the authority to participate fully in the America the Beautiful Interagency Pass Program. The Interagency Pass Program allows each of the federal agencies to retain and reinvest revenues collected from the sale of passes at the project level. USACE plans to reinvest its revenues at the projects where the fees are collected.

These passes, Interagency Senior Pass, Interagency Access Pass, Interagency Annual Pass, Interagency Military Pass, Interagency Every Kid in a Park 4th Grade Pass, and Interagency Volunteer Pass  covers entrance fees at national parks and national wildlife refuges as well as standard amenity fees at national forests and grasslands, lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation and day use fees at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lakes. A pass covers those fees for a driver and all passengers in a personal vehicle at per vehicle fee areas (or up to 4 adults at sites that charge per person). Children age 15 and under are admitted free. For information on the America the Beautiful passes including costs and types, visit http://store.usgs.gov/pass/annual.html, or phone 1-888-275-8747, option 3.

For Pittsburgh District lakes, the Interagency America the Beautiful pass will allow their holders free access to Corps-managed boat launches and swimming beaches. The senior and access America the Beautiful passes (and Golden Age/Access Passport) also provide holders a 50 percent discount on campsites and related campground fees at Corps-managed campgrounds. Passes will not be replaced if lost or stolen.

Additional information on Federal Recreation Passport Programs, including information on how to obtain a pass, can be found on the Corps Lakes Gateway at http://corpslakes.usace.army.mil/visitors/passes.cfm or through the Federal Lands Recreation web portal at http://www.recreation.gov and at http://store.usgs.gov/pass.

Volunteer Clearinghouse:  1-800-865-8337

Give a helping hand!

 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Volunteer Clearinghouse is a nationwide, toll free hotline number for individuals who are interested in volunteering their time with the Corps.  By calling the hotline a potential volunteer can express interest in any Corps project nationwide.  The Clearinghouse in turn, gives the individual a point of contact for the area they have requested, as well as written information about volunteer opportunities there.

 

Callers should be ready to provide information about their interests, talents and the locations they may want to volunteer.

 

The Clearinghouse also works from the opposite direction. Corps employees needing volunteers can call or send their volunteer vacancies to the Clearinghouse so the information will be available to anyone interested.

 

The hotline serves as a match maker, pairing up skilled, enthusiastic workers with Corps employees who can use their services, providing both with a memorable experience.  By providing such a valuable service, the Clearinghouse boosts the Corps of Engineers volunteer program as a whole.

 

Click here for additional information on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Volunteer Clearinghouse