Hiking at Pymatuning State Park
7 miles of trails
Pymatuning State Park Trail Map (PDF)
Trail Definitions
Difficulty Ratings
Easiest -- For beginner trail users. Grade is gentle with few obstacles.
More Difficult -- For the majority of trail users. Grade is steeper and trails narrower with embedded rocks or roots on the trail surface.
Most Difficult -- For trail users with advanced skills. Grade is steep and provides a definite physical challenge. Routes may not be well marked. Elevation gain or loss is severe.
Trail Route Type
Loop -- Start and end at the same location and follow a single trail to form a loop.
Out-and-back -- Start and end at a trailhead and follow a single trail to an endpoint or specific point of interest, then return along the same route.
Point-to-point -- Trails are generally longer in distance and parks may often contain only a portion of the trail within their boundary. Hiker starts and ends in different locations, often requiring a shuttle.
Connector -- Begin and end in connection with another trail or trails but do not terminate at a trailhead.
Ackerman Trail
1.9 miles | Easiest hiking | Out-and-back trail | No blazes
Recreations permitted: hiking, mountain biking, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing recommended, snowshoeing recommended
Trailhead amenities: modern restrooms, picnic tables
This former railroad corridor travels along Ackerman and Carrituning Bays. A nesting platform allows for getting up close to osprey, and on clear water days visitors can spot fish and turtles in the bays.
A shaded section through a pine forest is a great location for looking for animal prints in the snow and mud.
Classroom Trail
0.25 mile | Easiest hiking | Out-and-back trail | White blazes
Recreations permitted: hiking, cross-country skiing recommended, snowshoeing recommended
Trailhead amenities: none
This short trail follows the shoreline along a boat mooring area to the historic Westinghouse Bay which was used by Westinghouse Corporation in WWII for testing torpedoes. An easy loop is made by following Westinghouse Lane back to the Jamestown Marina.
Log Cabin Trail
1.3 miles | Easiest hiking | Out-and-back trail | Yellow blazes
Recreations permitted: hiking, snowshoeing recommended
Trailhead amenities: modern restrooms, picnic tables
Log Cabin Trail traverses through a forested section of Pymatuning and allows visitors to walk between the Jamestown Campground, Jamestown Modern Cabins and connect to the Tamarack Trail loop. Several species of spring wildflowers can be found along its edges.
Snowmobile Trail
9.75 miles | Easiest hiking | Out-and-back trail | Orange blazes
Recreations permitted: hiking, mountain biking, snowmobiling, snowshoeing recommended
Trailhead amenities: modern restrooms, picnic tables
Within the park, there are four trail segments that connect to roads and other snowmobile trails in the area. Hiking is permitted, but maintenance is limited outside of winter months.
The trail segments pass through a variety of environments including lake front, thick pine stands, campgrounds, and beaches.
Spillway Trail
3.25 miles | Easiest hiking | Out-and-back trail | No blazes
Recreations permitted: hiking, biking, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing recommended, snowshoeing recommended
Trailhead amenities: modern restrooms, potable water, picnic tables, benches
The linear Spillway Trail can be accessed at either Fries Road or the spillway parking lot. This former railroad bed is now a paved, multiuse trail. In summer months, find yellow warblers darting along the path.
Spring brings in migrating waterfowl including tundra swans and many species of ducks and grebes. The sunsets along the trail are some of the best in the park.
Sugar Run Trail
1.0 mile | Easiest hiking | Loop trail | Blue blazes
Recreations permitted: hiking, mountain biking, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing recommended, snowshoeing recommended
Trailhead amenities: modern restrooms, picnic tables
This multi-use trail runs along the beautiful tree-lined Sugar Run and Shenango River. Stop and listen for songbirds, relax by the small rapids, and check out the large sandstone rocks lining the stream bottom and banks.
Tamarack Trail
1.2 miles | Easiest hiking | Loop trail | Red blazes
Recreations permitted: hiking, snowshoeing recommended
Trailhead amenities: modern restrooms, picnic tables
Located along West Lake Road just past the Century Club, Tamarack Trail is named for the deciduous conifer trees that grow in the area. The trail winds along the edge of a bay and passes through a mixed deciduous forest of black cherry, maple, and tamarack trees.
Hikers may catch a glimpse of great blue herons, red-tailed hawks, or warblers.