Jakes Rocks Overlook is really a series of overlooks located in the Warren County portion of the Allegheny National Forest.
This area is a popular picnic spot and is also home to a series of challenging mountain bike trails, but the focus of this write-up is on visiting the scenic overlooks at Jakes Rocks.
How to Find Jakes Rocks Overlook
Turn off of Route 59 onto Longhouse Road at the northwestern end of Cornplanter Bridge over the Allegheny Reservoir.
Follow Longhouse Road for a mile, bear right at the fork in the road, and continue up hill, following the signs to the Jakes Rocks Picnic Area parking lot.
I visited 4 overlooks in the area around Jakes Rocks picnic area – 1 that required a short hike through the namesake Jakes Rocks, and 3 others that are literally roadside.
You’ll also notice on the map above that Jakes Rocks is directly across Kinzua Bay from Rimrock Overlook, another beautiful destination in the Allegheny National Forest.
Jakes Rocks Overlook
Getting to the namesake Jakes Rocks Overlook requires a short hike (maybe 10 minutes tops and basically flat) from the parking area, through the boulder field known as Jakes Rocks, to the overlook.
The trail to Jakes Rocks Overlook is not blazed (that I could see), but obvious and easy to follow.
Jakes Rocks Overlook is located at GPS coordinates 41.85181, -78.98209.
Jakes Rocks Overlook offers visitors a view of Jackson Bay on the Allegheny Reservoir.
After photographing Jakes Rocks Overlook, I made my way back though the rock formations to the parking area and proceeded to the 3 roadside vistas.
Roadside Overlook #1
The road leading out of the Jakes Rocks Picnic Area is a one-way road, so the first roadside overlook you’ll pass is this partial view of the Kinzua Dam.
This first roadside overlook is located at GPS coordinates 41.84449, -78.98340.
Roadside Overlook #2
The second roadside overlook leaving Jakes Rocks Picnic Area offers a much better view of the Kinzua Dam.
This overlook is located at GPS coordinates 41.84083, -78.98228.
Roadside Overlook #3
The final roadside overlook faces Kinzua Bay as you descend the mountain, back towards Route 59.
This overlook is located at GPS coordinates 41.84083, -78.98228.
Nearby Attractions
As previously mentioned, Rimrock Overlook in Warren County offers visitors outstanding views of Kinzua Bay and the Allegheny National Forest which surrounds it.
The Marilla Bridges Trail is a gorgeous 1-mile loop trail around the Marilla Reservoir near Bradford, just a few minutes south of the Pennsylvania/New York border.
The Zippo/Case Museum is dedicated to telling the story of Zippo lighters and Case knives, two iconic products made in Bradford, Pennsylvania.
The 15,000-square-foot facility in McKean County includes the museum, a gift shop (naturally!) and the famous Zippo Repair Clinic.
Kinzua Bridge State Park in McKean County is home to what was once the longest and tallest railway bridge in the entire world – The Kinzua Viaduct.
Logan Falls is a great little waterfall tucked away in the Allegheny National Forest, near Marienville.
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