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Submission
The Clarion River is a designated Wild and Scenic River for 51.7 miles, from the border of the ANF/State Game Lands Number 44 boundary to an unnamed tributary at the backwaters of Piney Dam. The steeply forested hillsides of almost continuous mature deciduous and coniferous vegetation contribute to a feeling of remoteness in many places along the river. Paddlers on the river will find that the water changes from smooth to riffling as the river flows over and around large boulders. In the section of river between Arroyo Bridge and Irwin Run paddlers will find several of the riffles. The Clarion is a tributary to the Allegheny Wild and Scenic River, joining it in Clarion County, just south of the town of Emlenton. In the early 1800's the Clarion was used to transport timber to the Allegheny River.
From Ridgway Travel Travel on South St. until South St. becomes PA-949 S/State St. Continue to follow PA-949 for 5.6 miles to the site
We visited Clarion River early July. We had a beautiful day. Using the public boat launch was not easy. Water level very low, hard to get pontoon off and on trailer. Will visit again when water level is up.
We stayed at the Wright River Retreat on the Clarion River for a weekend. We had a wonderful time soaking in the beauty of nature, fishing, walking on trails, and cooking on the campfire. If you are looking to rent a place on the river, please check this place out.
We float the clarion all the time. Kayaks, canoes, tubes, we've done it down the clarion. Spring time is the best as it gets pretty low late summer. Good fishing and a good time the whole way down. There's rapids called the x,y,z but they're nothing crazy. Super simple float with a lot of camping spots along the way. There's a rope swing between lazy boy and Portland mills. And and even better rope swing a little before the irwin canoe launch. Good fun and always a good time.
2019 Pennsylvania river of the year! What's not to love? Plenty of beautiful scenery and wildlife. Bears, Bald Eagles, Deer, Beavers, River Otters are just some of the critters in abundance. The river is also a lake because of the hydro electric plant in Piney. Because of the lake there are more diverse outdoor activities. The lake offers great waterskiing, fishing and powerboating opportunities.
We visited Clarion River in mid-July. The water was fairly low but enough for us to complete a 19 mile trip in two kayaks and a fully loaded canoe. We bottomed out a couple times but wasn't too bad aside from needing to be on high alert for large rocks just below the surface.
Lots of camping/picnicking spots along the route.
