Accessible fishing platform opened on Pennsylvania’s Pine Creek

Cammal, Pa. — Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn and Fish & Boat Commission Executive Director Tim Schaeffer on May 29 visited Lycoming County to highlight a new accessible fishing platform in the Tiadaghton State Forest that ensures visitors of all ability levels can fish on the Pine Creek.

The fishing platform at the Tomb Flats Campground provides more than 100 linear feet of flat, accessible fishing access to Pine Creek.

Other improvements in the project include an extension at the existing concrete boat launch, paved accessible parking spaces, and a native meadow, trees, riparian buffer plantings and climate mitigation measures.

“This new accessible fishing pier is an important step in creating new opportunities for anglers of all ability levels and can serve as a model for communities across the commonwealth,” said Secretary Dunn.

“The Shapiro administration remains committed to ensuring all Pennsylvanians and visitors have access to high-quality recreational opportunities, as exemplified with this project here in the Tiadaghton, and with the nearby Pine Creek Rail Trail – the 2026 Trail of the Year.”

Spending time in nature is beneficial to everyone’s health, and the commission is proud to support efforts like this accessible platform to get more people fishing, Schaeffer noted.

“Pennsylvania’s 86,000 miles of waterways offer limitless opportunities to fish and boat this summer and enjoy the benefits of nature, whether you’re here in Lycoming County or anywhere in the state,” he said.

In addition to fishing, recreational offerings in the Tiadaghton include ATV riding, camping, cross-country skiing, hiking, horseback riding, hunting, kayaking, mountain biking, sightseeing, and snowmobiling.

The Tiadaghton State Forest is named for a Native American term originally describing Pine Creek. Most of Tiadaghton’s 146,000-plus acres are located in Lycoming County, while some tracts extend into Tioga, Potter, Clinton and Union counties.

It is one of eight state forests in the Pennsylvania Wilds region and includes the popular Pine Creek Rail Trail.

The Pine Creek Rail Trail traces a historic corridor first used by the Iroquois Nation and later developed as a railroad in the late 19th century.

After rail service ended in 1988, the corridor was transformed into a 62-mile non-motorized trail completed between 1995 and 2007, stretching from Jersey Shore to Wellsboro Junction.

Today, the nationally recognized trail attracts more than 44,000 users annually and generates more than $5 million in local economic impact.

In 2024, DCNR completed the Whitetail Recreation Area parking project to increase parking and access to the Pine Creek Rail Trail.