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Sunday, July 14, 2002

MORAINE STATE PARK

Moraine State Park is west of Butler on Route 422. To reach the office and South Shore Recreation Area, take Exit 99 on I-79, turn right toward Butler, and then take the South Shore Exit to the park. There is no access to the North Shore from state Route 422 heading east from I-79, so, take the South Shore Exit, as described, get back onto state Route 422 heading west, and take the North Shore Exit; or, if going there directly from Pittsburgh, get off I-79 at Exit 96, the Portersville exit, turn left, and in Portersville, turn right on West Park Road, then follow the signs for the North Shore.

There are 10 boat-launching areas around the 3,225-acre Lake Arthur. At the Crescent Bay Area, through the Rita James Co., sailboats, rowboats, canoes, kayaks, motorboats and pontoon boats may be rented in the summer, and paddle boats and canoes are available in the off season. For the sailing club, contact Gerry Brandt at 412-488-0803, or send e-mail to gbbrandt@bellatlantic.net, or Sean Marshall at srm@telerama.com.

For information on the family boat building project, call Linda Harvey at Butler Chamber of Commerce, 724-283-2222, or regatta@butlercountychamber.com.

For park information: 724-368-8811. For the marina: 724-368-9346. Red Cross-certified sailing lessons are offered at Rita James Co. (724-368-9000); $212 for three days' instruction.

PRINCE GALLITZIN STATE PARK

Prince Gallitzin State Park, in northern Cambria County, is reached by state Routes 36 and 53 and U.S. Route 219. The 1,600-acre Glendale Lake has eight public boat-launching areas conveniently located throughout the park, along with three public mooring facilities for sailboats, pontoon boats and runabouts. A watercraft concession and marina provides various services, including sailboat rentals. Phone: 814-674-1000 (main office). The address for the sailing club is: Lake Glendale Sailing Club, Box 291, Clearfield, PA 16830. Phone contact for the club is Commodore Gary Johnson, 1-814-742-4209. The only lessons are those provided through a summer camp in June.

YELLOW CREEK STATE PARK

Take state Route 422 12 miles east of Indiana, Pa., or 18 miles west of Ebensburg, Pa., to state Route 259 South. Follow Route 259 to park entrance. From Johnstown, take state Route 56 west to Brush Valley, then Route 259 North to the park. From Pittsburgh, take state Route 22 East to state Route 119 North to state Route 422 East. Travel on Route 422 for 12 miles to state Route 259 South. Turn right into park entrance. You can rent the park's two Hobie Cats or one sailboat. Lessons are provided at a low cost along with the rental. Phone: 724-357-7913.

PRESQUE ISLE STATE PARK

Presque Isle State Park, on Route 832, from I-79 north or Route 5, offers a 13-mile-long looped road system within the park. A boat rental concession is located in the Grave Yard Pond area and provides a variety of powered and nonpowered craft, but not sailboats. A marina with nearly 500 slips that can accommodate boats up to 42 feet in length is open from May 1 through Oct. 31. Park phone: 1-814-833-7424. For programs at the Bayfront Center for Maritime Studies, call 1-814-456-4077.

PYMATUNING STATE PARK

Pymatuning State Park is in southwestern Crawford County. The park office is about 1.5 miles north of Jamestown, Pa. Approximately three-fourths of the 17,088-acre Pymatuning Reservoir is in Crawford County and the remaining one-fourth is in Ashtabula County, Ohio. Phone: 724-932-3141. There are no sailboat rentals at the park, but there are two sailing clubs -- the Pymatuning Sailing Club, on the north end of the lake, and the Pymatuning Yacht Club on the south end. Sailing Club contact is James Heaney, 1-216-561-2966. The Sailing Club is a "co-op" type, where everybody joins in the maintenance.

KEYSTONE STATE PARK

Keystone State Park, on State Road 1018, three miles from the intersection of State Road 981 and state Route 22 in New Alexandria and five miles from Latrobe, has a 78-acre lake with a public launch, but no rentals or classes. Visitors center: 724-668-2566.

CHAUTAUQUA, N.Y.

Chautauqua, 21/2 hours from Pittsburgh, is regarded as one of the finest sailing lakes in the nation. Jim and Arleen Star, Pittsburghers, coordinated the sailing program for youth the past few years, involving about 450 youth each week. The Institute has a Web site: http://chautauqua-inst.org. To register children for the sailing classes, call 1-716-357-6348.

MORE INFORMATION:

Information on state parks is available at www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/index.htm; or call toll-free 1-888-727-2757, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.

-- Bette McDevitt