Poe Paddy Spring Trip Advice...

EcoDog

EcoDog

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We're planning our first ever trip to Poe Paddy State Park in the spring. Traveling from the SE corner of PA and looking for the best route as we'll be dragging along a 25' travel trailer. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Also would like to know if bringing the pontoon boats will be useful at Poe Lake?

We'll talk about bugs as the trip gets closer.

Thanks in advance...
 
There's no way in without significant dirt road travel. They are all rather "non-ideal" for a trailer.

From the south, I'd take 322 and Sand Mountain Road in (hits 322 at Seven Mountains). By pure distance, there's more dirt this way than the Siglerville/Millheim Pike from the Siglerville side, but, you take the mountain much more gradually and with less switch backs.

You stayin at Poe Valley or Poe Paddy? Poe Paddy is right on Penns, so location wise better, but it's less modern. Pit toilets, no showers, etc. Poe Valley has modern amenities, and adds the lake, but it's 2 miles or so to get down to Penns. How big are the pontoons? Are we talking like party boats or the little personal pontoon watercraft? It's a nice kayak/jon boat lake, have done it, so the personal pontoons I think yes. But not real big for sizable watercraft. Go up on the dam at night and look at the stars over the water....

Have fun, it's an isolated, absolutely stunning area. One of my favorite areas of the state. There is ZERO cell service in the valley there, you have to get up to the hilltops to get service, so be ready for that. Wood can be tricky but there's a place or two, PM me if needed. No stores to speak of within about 40 minutes, take everything you need.
 
pcray1231 said:
There's no way in without significant dirt road travel. They are all rather "non-ideal" for a trailer.

From the south, I'd take 322 and Sand Mountain Road in (hits 322 at Seven Mountains). By pure distance, there's more dirt this way than the Siglerville/Millheim Pike from the Siglerville side, but, you take the mountain much more gradually and with less switch backs.

You stayin at Poe Valley or Poe Paddy? Poe Paddy is right on Penns, so location wise better, but it's less modern. Pit toilets, no showers, etc. Poe Valley has modern amenities, and adds the lake, but it's 2 miles or so to get down to Penns. How big are the pontoons? Are we talking like party boats or the little personal pontoon watercraft? It's a nice kayak/jon boat lake. But not real big for sizable watercraft.

Have fun, it's an isolated, absolutely stunning area. One of my favorite areas of the state. There is ZERO cell service in the valley there, you have to get up to the hilltops to get service, so be ready for that.
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Thanks pcray,

We did notice that Google maps sent us via Sand Mountain and Apple maps sent us on the Siglerville/Millheim Pike. Saw the switchbacks which didn't look too problematic, but slow and easy is our travel choice. Are there ant low bridges or impediments that we should know about? Our rig is under 10' tall.

We've been trailer camping for several decades, boondocking for most of that time, so the rustic side of Poe Paddy is in our comfort zone. Our rig is off road ready with enough capacity to last 5+ days without any help.

We usually carry two Dave Scadden 8' boats, mostly for stillwater.

Zero cell sounds pretty good to me...

Thanks
 
Going back dirt roads I suppose you always have danger of overhanging trees. Neither route is all that bad.

Going the Siglerville/Millheim route, you wind through paved country roads in amish country, it turns dirt when you hit the base of the mountain, you go up semi-steep with a switchback or two, and come down semi-steep with some switchbacks too. There is a nice overlook though. Then it hits Sand Mountain Road in the valley, turns to paved till you pass Poe Valley State Park, then back to dirt before you get to Poe Paddy.

The Sand Mountain road way is dirt and somewhat windy, but not super hairpin type turns. You climb the mountain on 322 (4 lane), then go down it much more gradually on dirt. More miles of dirt, but straighter.

There's a somewhat narrow bridge over Poe Creek, and another over Poe downstream of the Poe Valley Dam. But I don't think you'll have an issue with either, a lot of trailers go in there. And, both are after the roads meet, so, you hit em either way.

The lake is stocked with trout, and has other lake species. Pretty cold well into the year, you can trout fish in June. Big Poe has wild brookies above the dam, semi-posted up though. Below the dam has a smattering of wild brookies and does get stocked. Little Poe is a trib, and loaded with dinks, it's really small. Penns does a huge U around a mountain there. You CAN fish right by the campground. The end of tunnel spur road is a parking area, you can go up, down (towards the campground), or through the tunnel. Through the tunnel puts you about a mile downstream with like 100 yards of walking, and you can go up and down from there. In Spring there is usually a lot of vehicles there. Don't let it discourage you, that one parking area covers 4 different directions and a whole lot of water in each. The C&R, artificials only section is through the tunnel and then go down, it starts shortly downstream and goes a couple miles, walk/bike in only. Everything above there, including the campground, is all tackle trophy trout.

It is a good area to bike fish.
 
Thanks. Always looking forward to new destinations...


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I am often stunned at the size of campers and RVs I see parked in Poe Paddy.
 
McSneek said:
I am often stunned at the size of campers and RVs I see parked in Poe Paddy.
Click to expand...
So I am!

We travel those roads often (in our Jeep) and the descriptions offered are spot on. The Sand Mountain Road takes you past Seven Mountains Winery which has surprisingly good local wines and a nice selection of microbrews and other local treats.

Be sure to walk over the railroad bridge and thru the tunnel. There is small fish camp on the other side and when in residence, the members display a nice selection of historical photographs and are a delight to chat with.
 
Weikertgal said:
So I am!

We travel those roads often (in our Jeep) and the descriptions offered are spot on. The Sand Mountain Road takes you past Seven Mountains Winery which has surprisingly good local wines and a nice selection of microbrews and other local treats.

Be sure to walk over the railroad bridge and thru the tunnel. There is small fish camp on the other side and when in residence, the members display a nice selection of historical photographs and are a delight to chat with.
Click to expand...
If you are referring to house at bottom of hill right on creek I’ve never seen a soul there. I’ve eaten many lunches there wondering how the heck they built that house there. I have met folk at the small white cabin along the trail after you go thru tunnel.
 
A couple added thoughts about your trip.

If you’re towing a 25’ travel trailer I would most definitely take the Sand Mountain road going in and out. In addition to what’s already been mentioned, there are a couple sections on the Siglerville route that are basically one way traffic, and I don’t think you’d want to back up a 25’ travel trailer for a couple hundred yards if you happen to meet an oncoming vehicle at one of those places. Also, I’m not sure, but the last 1/4 mile of that Siglerville route road along Penns Creek before you get to Poe Paddy might have low hanging branches that could scratch the top of your trailer (Airstream?).

Which ever route you decide to take, drive SLOW. That way you shouldn’t have too many bumps in the road that would pop the rivets on the aluminum skin of an Airstream. Maybe only a couple. 😊 And your overhead cabinets shouldn’t fall off the wall.

The sooner you make a reservation, the better, as the sites at both Poe Paddy and Poe Valley tend to get booked early. Also, since you’re new to those campgrounds, you should pay close attention to what campsite you reserve, as a lot of the campsites at Poe Paddy are not conducive to, or will not hold, a 25’ trailer. And, I don’t think you can see which sites those are from only looking at the campground map. Plus, some of the Poe Paddy sites are right beside the dirt road and they might be okay for a 25’ trailer if you don’t mind all of the road dust from people driving close by throughout the day and night.

As a clarification, isn‘t the winery on the Decker Valley Road rather than the Sand Mountain Road?

I‘d bring your pontoons if you enjoy lake fishing. I’ve stood on the shore at Poe Valley in the spring and watched what I assume were trout rising just beyond casting distance and wished that I had a pontoon or boat to get to them. Just don’t use pontoons on Penns Creek.
 
mt_flyfisher said:
A couple added thoughts about your trip.

If you’re towing a 25’ travel trailer I would most definitely take the Sand Mountain road going in and out. In addition to what’s already been mentioned, there are a couple sections on the Siglerville route that are basically one way traffic, and I don’t think you’d want to back up a 25’ travel trailer for a couple hundred yards if you happen to meet an oncoming vehicle at one of those places. Also, I’m not sure, but the last 1/4 mile of that Siglerville route road along Penns Creek before you get to Poe Paddy might have low hanging branches that could scratch the top of your trailer (Airstream?).

Which ever route you decide to take, drive SLOW. That way you shouldn’t have too many bumps in the road that would pop the rivets on the aluminum skin of an Airstream. Maybe only a couple. 😊 And your overhead cabinets shouldn’t fall off the wall.

The sooner you make a reservation, the better, as the sites at both Poe Paddy and Poe Valley tend to get booked early. Also, since you’re new to those campgrounds, you should pay close attention to what campsite you reserve, as a lot of the campsites at Poe Paddy are not conducive to, or will not hold, a 25’ trailer. And, I don’t think you can see which sites those are from only looking at the campground map. Plus, some of the Poe Paddy sites are right beside the dirt road and they might be okay for a 25’ trailer if you don’t mind all of the road dust from people driving close by throughout the day and night.

As a clarification, isn‘t the winery on the Decker Valley Road rather than the Sand Mountain Road?

I‘d bring your pontoons if you enjoy lake fishing. I’ve stood on the shore at Poe Valley in the spring and watched what I assume were trout rising just beyond casting distance and wished that I had a pontoon or boat to get to them. Just don’t use pontoons on Penns Creek.
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The winery is on Decker Valley Road and not on Sand Mountain. You will not go by it on your way to Poe.
 
Both of the routes being described as access for Poe Paddy when traveling from the South are relatively good dirt roads, by state forest dirt road standards. Both are graded and reasonably well maintained. That said, Sand Mountain Road is the better of the two, and has less areas where you’d be concerned about oncoming traffic with a trailer. It’s as good of a dirt road as you’re gonna find anywhere in PA, and portions of it on the way back are paved.

Siglerville/Millheim Pike is shorter distance wise, but drive time wise they end up being about the same as you can take Sand Mountain Road a little quicker than Siglerville/Millheim Pike.

I’ve done it both ways, but generally prefer Sand Mountain Rd. Even without a trailer. Sometimes in the Fall I do take Siglerville/Millheim Pike to stop at some of the lookouts on the way up.
 
We got caught in a mountain bike race on sand mtn road pulling a smaller camper out of poe paddy last year.

That was interesting.
 
dudemanspecial said:
We got caught in a mountain bike race on sand mtn road pulling a smaller camper out of poe paddy last year.

That was interesting.
Click to expand...

Yeah. That’s no fun no matter what road you’re on. I’ve hit that same deal on the Siglerville/Millheim Pike way in before too. They use both roads.

In NCPA twice now I’ve hit the rally car race weekends up there when like half the SF roads are closed. PITA.
 
Swattie87 said:
Yeah. That’s no fun no matter what road you’re on. I’ve hit that same deal on the Siglerville/Millheim Pike way in before too. They use both roads.

In NCPA twice now I’ve hit the rally car race weekends up there when like half the SF roads are closed. PITA.
Click to expand...
If I had to guess there were at least 300 of them.
 
There Are several organized races that occur spring-fall. This is one -

www.trans-sylvaniaproductions.com

Bald Eagle Gravel Grinder | Trans-Sylvania Productions

Race information for the Bald Eagle Gravel Grinder. BEGG is part of our Pennsylvania Gravel Series.
www.trans-sylvaniaproductions.com www.trans-sylvaniaproductions.com

there is a very large one in the fall that lasts several days.
 
It's been mentioned in this thread, but it cannot be stressed enough: Make a reservation. The campgrounds do fill up. There's plenty of space to fish, but not so much for setting up camp.
 
Poe Paddy campground is almost completely reserved for the prime weekends.
 
UnPAved released their fall bike race weekend - Oct 11-13, 2024
 
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