We are proud to announce the arrival of new and revised Youghiogheny River Water Trail Maps. The popularity of water trails is exploding across the country and this project will encourage both visitorship and stewardship in the Youghiogheny River watershed. MWA manages the 74 mile trail, from Confluence to the mouth of the river at McKeesport. These maps will guide and enhance paddling opportunities on the river as well as highlight amenities in the surrounding area. 10,000 maps will be printed and distributed throughout the business and tourism communities. Maps will also be available electronically through MWAā€™s website; hard copies distributed by mail upon request.
The original water trail maps were developed by the PA Environmental Council with the PA Fish & Boat Commission and the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Ā Today, there are very few Water Trail maps left to distribute, which is a testament to the number of Water Trail enthusiasts. The original versions can be viewed on our Youghiogheny River Water Trail page. You will notice that the maps are static, PDF documents. While they are good tools, we plan to make exploring the new map interactive, which will allow users to view put-ins, take-outs, and amenities with a simple click.
The revised maps illustrate four segments of the water trail. Ā Section A is from Confluence to Ohiopyle and is referred to as the Middle Yough-Lower Yough. Ā Section B is from Ohiopyle to Connellsville/Dawson and to distinguish it from Section A is called the Lower-Lower Yough. Ā Section C is from Dawson to West Newton and is dubbed the Bottom Yough. Ā Section D is from Cedar Creek to McKeesport to the end of the Yough River and thus is the End Yough.
The design for the updated water trail maps include sections of the river displayed as boat-trip ‘legs’. The put-in and take-out locations are also identified as well as river related amenities that serve tourism efforts in the towns. The prior version of the Yough Water Trail maps had a practical impact on audiences such as swimmers, hiker, paddlers and fisherpeople alike and MWA believes that these new and updated maps will spur further economic development and promote stewardship and conservation of this wonderful resource.