Pymatuning State Park Spillway Trail

Located on the abandoned Erie and Pittsburgh branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad, this short but intriguing trail runs through Pymatuning State Park, a large and popular two-state recreation area encompassing a 2,500-acre wildlife refuge around Pymatuning Reservoir. (The word Pymatuning is derived from an Iroquois term, probably from the Seneca tribe, that means "crooked-mouthed man's dwelling place.")

Pymatuning State Park Spillway Trail, a beautiful 3-mile route adjacent to Linesville Road, crosses the Pymatuning Spillway, which was built in 1930. The Pymatuning Spillway is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the area; it is estimated that more than 300,000 visitors come to view the local beauty and feed bread to the numerous carp that gather around the spillway.

The Pymatuning Spillway is known as the place where "ducks walk on fishes' backs." The area has plenty of attractions, including campgrounds, a fish hatchery and the Game Commission Wildlife Learning Center in the middle of the spillway.

To reach the spillway trailhead from Interstate 79 North, take Exit 147B for US 322 West and US 6 West toward Conneaut Lake. Merge onto Conneaut Lake Road and US 19/322/6. Follow US 6 for a little more than 7 miles. Continue on PA 6 (Water Street) for another 6 miles and then turn left to stay on PA 6, as it turns left, for 0.5 mile to Linesville. Turn left on South Mercer Street, which turns into Hartstown Road and takes you directly onto the spillway after about 1 mile. Parking is available on spillway on your left and at other locations in the park.