Recreation
Exact change will be required for all cash transactions during the 2016 recreation season, such as renting campsites, purchasing annual boat launching passes, or reserving picnic shelters.
Annual Day Use Pass & America the Beautiful Passes
In an effort to promote customer service and as an efficiency gain, boat launch fees will no longer be charged at Shenango Lake Corps of Engineers operated boat launches, thus Shenango Lake will no longer be selling the Corps Annual Day Use Pass.
Fees of up to $5 per day are charged at many U.S. Army Corps of Engineers day use areas, including beaches and boat launch ramps. Annual passes allow visitors to avoid having to pay day use fees each time they visit any U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operated day use area nationwide. Annual passes, available at the park office of any site where fees are charged, cost $40 per pass and are valid for 12-months from the month of purchase. Individuals with a valid Golden Age/Access Passport or a America the Beautiful Senior/Access Pass receive free day use fees, therefore they do not need to apply for a Corps Annual Pass and will just need to display their Golden Age/Access or America the Beautiful Pass. You can acquire a Corps Annual Pass from other projects in the Pittsburgh District by mailing in the pass request form, found under 'Links of Interest', to the addresses provided on the second page of the form.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be selling/issuing the America the Beautiful national passes starting in 2016. Shenango Lake will only be selling/issuing these passes at the Shenango Rec Area Campground Contact Booth from May 20 – Sep 11. The days and times the Contact Booth is open are as follows: Mon-Wed 4:00pm-8:45pm & Thu-Sun 1:00pm-8:45pm, with extended hours on holidays. Please call the Contact Booth at 724-646-1115 to make sure someone is available to assist you. Any questions or concerns, please contact Christina Barker at the Ranger Station at 724-646-1124. These passes can also be purchased at locations listed on the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) website or online at the USGS website at https://store.usgs.gov/pass/index.html.
Campground Hosts
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Shenango Lake is accepting applications for campground hosts for the upcoming 2016 recreation season. Basic duties include issuing visitor/camper vehicle passes, directing traffic, providing information services, and litter pickup. Some positions may require fee collection and light maintenance work. We are located in Western Pennsylvania, near Hermitage, Pa. Positions will run from mid-May to mid-September. Interested campers should call Park Ranger Jason Cote at 724-646-1124 or e-mail him at jason.cote@usace.army.mil. A campsite with electric hookups will be provided (water and sewage not available at site).
Campground Reservations
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, an interagency one-stop center for recreation reservations. Reservations can be made up to six months before arrival by calling the NRRS toll-free at 1-877-444-6777 or on 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. At Tionesta Lake, reservations for the Tionesta Recreation Area Campground are available through the NRRS. The Shenango Lake campground is open for the 2016 recreation season from May 20 through Sept. 5.
Bayview Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) Area
The 2016 recreation season is from May 27 to Sept. 25.
| Regulations for ATV Riders Using the Bayview Off-Road Vehicle Area |
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Riders must stay within the posted boundaries of the riding area. Operating an ATV outside of the designated riding area will result in the issuance of a citation, impoundment of the ATV and/or local and state penalties.
o Riders must have a current registration for the ATV and display a registration sticker or state issued registration plate.
o Helmets must be worn at all times.
o Riders under 8 years of age are not permitted to operate any type of off-road vehicle in the Bayview ORV Area. Riders 8 to 15 must complete a safety education course and possess a current safety training certificate before being permitted to operate any type of off-road vehicle. The rider must be in possession of the certificate while riding at Bayview.
Other rules and regulations posted in the area must be observed at all times.
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Mahaney, Clark and Shenango Day Use Areas
The Mahaney, Clark and Shenango Day Use Areas are open from sunrise to sunset. The Shenango Day Use Area remains open to pedestrian and vehicle traffic year-round, while the Mahaney and Clark Day Use Areas remain open in the fall until the first snowfall and re-open in the spring in early April. The restrooms at all three areas close in early October and re-open sometime in April. The Mahaney Recreation Area boasts 'The Pines at Shenango Lake' disc golf course featuring 9 holes of disc golf(with plans to extend the course to 18 holes by the end of 2016). Links to a printed out map and scorecard can be found on this webpage.
Scorecard
Course Map
Boat Launching
In an effort to promote customer service and as an efficiency gain, boat launch fees will no longer be charged at Shenango Lake Corps of Engineers operated boat launches. Boaters will not be required to purchase an annual launch pass, nor pay the daily launch fee. Boat launch fees may still apply at other Corps of Engineers operated lakes. Shenango Lake will no longer be selling the Corps Annual Day Use Pass as well, but you can acquire one from other projects in the Pittsburgh District by mailing in the pass request form, found under 'Links of Interest', to the addresses provided on the second page of the form.
Picnic Shelter Reservations
As an efficiency gain and to promote customer service, picnic shelter reservations shall be made only through the National Recreation Reservation Service. Shelters can be reserved up to one year in advance by calling NRRS at 1-877-444-6777 or on their website at www.recreation.gov - search for Shenango River Lake. This service is available 24/7 online. The fee for reserving a picnic shelter at Shenango Lake is $40 per day. There are seven picnic shelters available in four different recreation areas (maps & pictures available on the NRRS website): Clark Rec Area Day Use – Clark Shelter; Mahaney Outflow Rec Area Day Use – Riverview Shelter; Mahaney Rec Area Day Use – Trails End, Spruce Cove, Skyline, and Rolling Meadows Shelters; & Shenango Rec Area Day Use – Lakeside Shelter. Electric is available at the shelter with a paid reservation only, grills are available on site, and flush toilets and drinking water are provided at the nearby restroom (seasonal). If not reserved, the shelter is available for free on a first-come, first-served basis with no electric. **Any person requesting the Lakeside Shelter for a Sunday: there is a church group that meets there from 10-11am, so access to the shelter is only available after the church service.** If you have any questions in regards to the picnic shelters, please contact the Manager’s Office at 724-962-7746 or Ranger Station at 724-646-1124.
Life Jacket Loaner Program
The Boat/U.S. Foundation for Boating Safety has funded a Life Jacket Loaner Program at Shenango Lake. Life jackets are available for infants, children and youth as well as some adults. The U.S. Coast Guard requires recreational boaters to have a wearable life jacket on board for each passenger, but life jackets suitable for children are not always available. In addition, at Shenango Lake and other Corps of Engineers lakes in the Pittsburgh District, it is required that children under 13 years of age wear a life jacket while boating. Children are especially at risk on and near the water. A properly sized life jacket can be the difference between life and death for a small child. A boater merely signs out the jacket(s) and returns them at the end of the day. To make arrangements, please call the campground contact station at 724-646-1115 during the camping season or the ranger station at 724-646-1124.
Chestnut Run Swim Beach
The Chestnut Run Swim Beach is open for the 2016 recreation season from May 27 through Sept. 11. Operating hours are 9 a.m. to sunset. The beach is open as a "swim at your own risk" area so no lifeguards are present. Outside enclosed changing areas and portable toilets are available for use. The picnic pavilion is not reservable, but available for use on a first-come first-served basis. All visitors are asked to use the dumpsters in the parking lot to help keep the area clean and litter-free.
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Current Events
The Clark, Mahaney and Shenango Day Use Areas open April 1
Trout Stocking, Outflow, PAFBC - April 9, 21, & 27
Opening Day of Trout - April 16
Earth Day Spring Cleanup Weekend - April 16/17 (free camping for volunteers)
The Leslie Sparano Summerfest Sweat 5K Run/Walk - May 21
Registration Form
13th Annual Leslie Sparano Summerfest - July 22
Interpretive Canoe Paddle, DCNR/COE – Aug 24
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