Pennsylvania - Pennsylvania Travel Guide 2025
Go with the Flow
2024-11-28 10:34:43
on PA’s Rivers
With more than 86,000 miles of streams and rivers — including the mighty Allegheny in western PA, named River of the Year in 2024 — the Commonwealth’s mild-to-wild waterways offer a fluid connection to nature and history.
TUBING
No need for fancy athletic skills (beyond basic swimming) with water tubing. At Coal Tubin’ Adventures in Johnstown, natural water levels determine tubing action on the Stonycreek River, from lazy floats to whitewater thrills. Easton’s Twin Rivers Tubing offers free tethers for those who want to stay connected on the Delaware River. Test those same waters farther north in the Poconos at Chamberlain Canoes in East Stroudsburg. Get a whole summer’s worth of fun on the lower Delaware for a bargain price with a season pass at Bucks County River Country in Point Pleasant.
WHITEWATER RAFTING
At Whitewater Rafting Adventures in Nesquehoning, surging spring waters attract adrenaline fiends to Class II and III rapids on the Lehigh River. However, scheduled whitewater dam releases keep paddlers pumped for adventure throughout summer and early fall. Trips of different lengths and intimidation levels are available, all featuring stunning natural vistas that could include a soaring eagle. Rafting trip choices at Whitewater Challengers in Weatherly include their Whitewater Rafting Marathon in the Poconos: The longest one-day trip in PA, covering 20+ scenic miles and lasting up to seven hours in Class II to III whitewaters. Novices can develop paddling skills in more easygoing waters at Edge of the Woods Outfitters in Delaware Water Gap.
CRUISES
The Pride of the Susquehanna in Harrisburg, the only authentic stern-driven paddlewheel riverboat east of the Mississippi, offers scenic sightseeing tours and specialty cruises. In bucolic Williamsport, cruise through history on a relaxing narrated excursion aboard Hiawatha Paddlewheel Riverboat. The Gateway Clipper Fleet’s riverboats ply the waters of Pittsburgh’s three rivers, the Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio, with widely diverse cruises. Yachting more your style? Sleek and chic City Cruises delivers stellar views of Philadelphia’s skyline from the Delaware River and an abundance of themed dining cruises.
FLY-FISHING
With the specialized skills and equipment needed for successful fly-fishing, get an edge by booking a training date on the Lehigh or Susquehanna river with an expert from Zerokill Outfitters Fly Fishing and Education in Reading. Then head out for some of the country’s best trout fishing, plus bass, pike, walleye, and more, on Penns Creek, Slate Run, Elk Creek, or Little Juniata River. Or stay at Boiling Springs’ Allenberry, an Orvis-certified fly-fishing lodge, and cast your line in Yellow Breeches Creek, a limestone stream renowned for its trout fishing.
RIVERFRONT WALKING & BIKING PATHS
The broad, easy biking and walking country-road-style Greene River Trail traces the Monongahela River from Rices Landing, providing glimpses of a coal mining past and woodland wildlife. Offering blissful tranquility and flat terrain, the Blairsville Riverfront Trail follows the winding waters of the woodland-lined Conemaugh River. Find a peaceful retreat along the Susquehanna River on Canfield Island in Montoursville. Interpretive signs inform strolling visitors about Native American cultural roots and industrial development on the 0.5-mile looped James P. Bressler Heritage Trail.
WATERFRONT DINING
Riverbanks furnish an ideal environment for restaurants to take root. Savor seasonal outdoor dining, live music, and special events at destinations such as the barn-like Playhouse Deck Restaurant & Bar in New Hope, the beer-garden-style Morgan’s Pier in Philadelphia, the 1700s Penn’s Tavern in Sunbury, the rustic Rock Bottom Riverfront Tavern in Lock Haven, and the colorful Dockside Willies in Lemoyne. A new casual eatery at Jermyn’s RiverView Winery, perched on the banks of the Lackawanna River, enhances leisurely sipping.
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