Pymatuning State Park is a prime destination for outdoor lovers - whether you're a fan of hiking, swimming, or boating. However, the park is also home one of the most unique and fascinating attractions in Pennsylvania. You won't have any trouble finding The Linesville Spillway, which is brimming with fish. That's not what makes it so unique, though. There are so many fish that ducks walk on the fish to grab pellets from visitors eager to feed them. If you've ever wanted to feed the ducks in Pennsylvania, you've found the most unique place to do it.
The manmade Pyamatuning Reservoir has straddled the border between Pennsylvania and Ohio since it was built in 1934. For many people, trips to the spillway are a family tradition from childhood; for others, it's fun, (mostly) free, and one of those weird things to do in Pennsylvania that you want to try at least once. You definitely don't want to forget your camera for this unique adventure. After, when's the last time you've seen so many fish that ducks walk on their backs?
Thousands of giant Pennsylvania carp writhe near the surface of the water. The fish are so dense that sometimes ducks can be spotted walking over the surface of the fish. Fish pellets, once thrown into the spillway, disappear quickly.
Interestingly enough, the carp are actually an invasive species, native to Asia. Until 2008, visitors threw bread to both the ducks and fish in the spillway. However, environmentalists advocated to have that practice banned because each visitor threw an average of 2.4 pounds of bread into the water. All of that bread resulted in the constantly-growing population of Pennsylvania carp which, in turn, impacted the local ecosystem.
If you visit today, you can purchase fish pellets at the spillway. Only fish pellets are permitted. Feeding all other wildlife is strictly prohibited as human food is generally bad for wild animals.
In the video below, you can see this phenomenon firsthand.
Have you ever been to the Linesville Spillway? Did you feed the fish with the fish pellets? Share your experience in the comments! (You can find more information on the official website of Pymatuning State Park.) If you're up for some more traveling, check out these 10 weird places in Pennsylvania that you have to see to believe.
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