ELK CO., Pa. (EYT) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service announced that the Irwin Run Canoe Launch remains closed to the public in the Marienville Ranger District of the Allegheny National Forest.
(Pictured above: Irwin Run Canoe Launch Road construction. USDA Photo by Amy J. Lesher.)
Construction began in October of 2022 and remains on schedule with substantial work already accomplished. The closure and construction are expected to continue until July 2023. Contractors are replacing the canoe launch and building an accessible path to an expanded parking area. They are also replacing the single vault toilet with an accessible double vault toilet. Clarion River Campsite C17 is also closed due the proximity of the construction zone.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture apologizes for any inconvenience this temporary closure may cause as they work to enhance and improve the public facilities available in the Forest.
Other nearby Forest Service canoe launches on the Clarion Wild and Scenic River include the Millstone Canoe Launch and the Robin Island Canoe Launch. For an upriver launch site, consider the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Portland Mills Canoe Launch as an alternative.
The Irwin Run Boat Launch Deferred Maintenance Project is part of the $285 million investment made possible by the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund, established in 2020 by the Great American Outdoors Act. These funds allow the USDA Forest Service to implement more than 500 infrastructure improvement projects essential to the continued use and enjoyment of national forests and grasslands. These funds are critical in helping to reduce the Forest Service’s $5.2 billion deferred maintenance backlog and are an important step in restoring what our visitors love about national forests.
