A popular vacation destination spanning the Ohio-Pennsylvania border, Pymatuning State Park is well known for its wide range of outdoor opportunities. The 14,000-acre reservoir offers multiple boat access areas, seasonal docks, and some of the finest walleye and muskie fishing in Ohio. Visitors will also find a large, shaded campground with several lakeside sites, inviting cabins, a swimming beach, and scenic picnic areas along the lakeshore. The Park is operated by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Parks and Watercraft. The purpose of this Project is to create a trail system that will follow the shoreline of Pymatuning Lake, providing a pathway to connect the campground area at the southern edge to the main beach to the north, via Birches Boat Ramp at the center of the park. The proposed 3-mile trail will require a series of floating docks and/or boardwalks, small bridges, and paved sections that meander through wooded areas, currently inaccessible. The selected trail alignment will highlight the natural features of the park, provide connectivity to all park amenities, and create a linear pathway for active recreation. Additional highlights include the addition of waterfront observation platforms to allow trail users to move off the pathway and enjoy the beauty of the Lake. The selected firm will evaluate existing conditions to develop and implement a design strategy incorporating the recommendations from a feasibility study completed in the Spring of 2024. In meeting the project goals, it will be critical to minimize environmental impacts, while achieving phasing, budget and schedule objectives. Challenges include, but are not limited to, topography, wetlands, threatened and endangered species, heavily wooded areas, high traffic areas, stream crossings, drainage, utilities, and construction access. The selected firm will evaluate available materials for the trail surface and provide cost-effective recommendations and potential phasing options for each segment of the trail system. Special consideration must be given to property lines and setbacks with neighboring owners and to the existing Compact between Ohio and Pennsylvania for the shared oversight of Lake regulations.
