Cruising in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's boating map is bigger than most people realize, and Lake Erie is only one corner of it. Four major river systems cross the state (the Delaware, Susquehanna, Allegheny, and Monongahela), and each runs its own kind of water. The Delaware turns wide and tidal near Philadelphia; the Susquehanna winds through farm country and past river towns worth tying up for. Marinas along these corridors serve a working mix of powerboats, fishing rigs, and small cruisers, and they're the gateway to the state's interior by water.

Then there's Erie itself. The state's northwestern corner opens onto a genuine Great Lake, with the boating scene concentrated around the city of Erie and the shelter of Presque Isle Bay. This is big-vessel water: sailing, offshore fishing, long cruises with Canada and the other Great Lakes states within reach. Marinas here handle larger yachts and offer the full menu: transient dockage, repairs, fuel. The lake's fishery is famously productive, and anglers treat it accordingly.