GOING TO EXTREMES: THE ERIE TRIANGLE
Bagging the Tip of the PA "Chimney"

Once upon a time the very northern, pointed boundary of Pennsylvania was nonexistent until 1792 when the Keystone State gained the "Erie Triangle" with a stretch of lakeshore and important access to the Great Lakes. The resulting tip of PA land converged with New York and Lake Erie though there's a very wet tri-point midway in Lake Erie where PA borders Canada.

Since we were meeting with our Cleveland hiker-couple friends in Erie, we decided to seek out the tip of the PA "chimney" or "tab." Get on Rt5 along Lake Erie until you reach the NY and PA state-line welcome signs. It's suggested that you stop there at the Lakeside Campground office and maybe meet up with good guy, John, the owner/manager. He pointed out the big overkill stone PA/NY marker in the field behind the office and directed us to the near-shore, small square rock marker set inside a wooden-frame. It's accessible via a narrow/knarly path; however, do not venture onto the NY side of this site since the land is privately-owned and definitely off limits.

It's best to reach the lakeshore via the campground boat ramp. Walk west along the lake until you spot the ravine and a faint trail going up the cliff to the square rock marker. Negotiating this path is a bit tricky so use care. On shore, if you want to stand on the definitive tip, you'll need a GPS since the exact longitude is the best you're going to get on this extreme. The 'N' reading is based on how high the lake is, ergo, the water's edge. We settled for a UTM latitude reading of 17T 4680424 northerly (42deg 16min 10sec N).

The NY/PA line longitude (triangle side opposite) = 79deg 45min 43sec W or 17T 602100 easterly. Move east and west with your GPS (or use a way point), near getting wet feet, until you tune in and, tah-dah, you're there.

It was fun to locate this extreme, and we usually meet nice, friendly people when squirreling around in their back yards for these geo-goals. If you go: There are several vineyards/wineries in the area. Have a meal and a drink at Molly Brannigan's on State St. in Erie, summit Bi-Centennial Tower, and explore Presque Isle State Park, for sure.

Erie Triangle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
www.campatlakeside.com