Forest County is one of Pennsylvania’s most heavily forested and sparsely settled counties, with rivers, reservoirs, and dissected uplands dominating the map far more than urban development. Tionesta sits in the western lowlands close to the Allegheny River and Tionesta Lake, while Marienville serves as an important eastern reference along PA 66. PA 62, PA 127, PA 666, PA 36, PA 66, and PA 899 connect small communities through the surrounding forest. The four original A3 high-resolution JPG maps are available in the download box below.
The county becomes easier to understand when the low western river corridor is separated from the higher eastern and northeastern interior. Tionesta Creek and its tributaries cut through the forested hills toward the Allegheny side, while the southern extension reaches toward the Clarion River. Elevation on the supplied map ranges from about 314 to 596 meters, with an average near 483 meters, so even relatively low stream valleys are surrounded by substantial uplands.
Table of Contents
Tionesta anchors the western river and reservoir corridor
Tionesta is the strongest reference point on the general map. The county seat sits close to PA 62 and PA 36, with PA 127 and PA 666 continuing north and northeast into the forest interior. Unlike most of the county, the area around Tionesta contains a major river, a reservoir, and several route connections within a relatively small space.
North of the borough, PA 127 follows a narrow corridor while PA 666 turns into the uplands. Forest County meets Warren County to the north and Venango County to the west, so these routes connect the county with neighboring areas without passing through a dense chain of towns.
South of Tionesta, PA 36 approaches the county boundary while the Allegheny River and Tionesta Lake remain close to the lower western terrain. Elevation rises quickly away from those valleys, making Tionesta especially useful as a practical orientation point in a county where most of the landscape is forested.
Marienville provides the clearest eastern settlement reference
Marienville lies far east of Tionesta and is organized around PA 66. PA 899 extends south from the same general area toward the county’s narrow southern section and the Clarion River side. The road network is much thinner here than in suburban or agricultural counties because broad forested uplands occupy most of the interior.
Parrish appears farther east, while Elk and McKean counties border the northeastern side. The surrounding terrain contains few large open areas, and local roads tend to use stream valleys and lower gaps between ridges. Marienville is therefore a useful geographic anchor even though it is not highlighted on the supplied ranked-city graphic.
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission material describes Marienville as an early lumber center and notes that it served as the county seat during the county’s early organization. After the 1866 boundary expansion, Tionesta became the county seat. That history fits the modern map’s two-center pattern: Tionesta in the west and Marienville in the eastern forest.
The ranked-city graphic contains only Tionesta
The supplied ranked-city map is unusually simple. It identifies one major ranked place, Tionesta, with a printed value of 323. That figure should be treated as the value used by the map’s ranking system rather than assumed to be the newest official population count.
Marienville is clearly present on the general reference map but is not included in this particular ranked graphic. The city map therefore should not be read as a complete population ranking of every community or census-designated place in Forest County. Current demographic comparisons should be checked against Census Bureau data.
The single-place graphic still communicates something important about the county: settlement is sparse. There is no continuous line of large towns across the interior. Starting with Tionesta and then adding Marienville, Parrish, and the state routes from the general map provides a much more useful picture of local geography.
Tionesta Creek and the Allegheny River organize the western drainage
The Allegheny River is the largest water feature on the western side. Tionesta Lake and Tionesta Creek form the strongest inland water reference close to the river, and the borough of Tionesta lies near the same low corridor. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers describes Tionesta Lake as an important project in the flood-control system for the Allegheny and upper Ohio rivers.
Tionesta Lake occupies a narrow valley surrounded by wooded hills. Little Coon Creek and Coon Creek approach from the south, while Beaver Run cuts a northern valley. The elevation map shows these drainage corridors as lower green terrain extending into higher ridges.
Farther east, Salmon Creek, The Branch, Buzzley Creek, and Spring Creek divide the interior into many small valleys. West Branch Mill Stone Creek follows a long corridor in the southeastern interior, and Maple Creek drains toward the narrow southern extension. The density of streams is one reason the county’s terrain looks so deeply dissected.
The Clarion River appears near the southern end of the county. It provides a strong reference for the Forest County boundary and the broader Cook Forest landscape. The terrain-and-water map is intended for geographic reference, not flood-zone determination, navigation, water-depth measurement, or water-quality decisions.
Elevation ranges from about 314 to 596 meters
The supplied elevation map reports an actual range of roughly 314 to 596 meters and a mean near 483 meters. The lowest green terrain follows the Allegheny River, Tionesta Lake, and major stream valleys. Higher yellow and brown uplands cover much of the northeastern and east-central county.
The north and northwest contain repeated narrow valleys cut into high terrain. Tributaries of the Tionesta system branch through the uplands, leaving short ridges between them rather than broad flat surfaces. This creates a rugged pattern even where the absolute elevation difference is smaller than in Pennsylvania’s highest mountain counties.
The Marienville area sits higher than the Tionesta river corridor, although the settlement itself still follows a lower road and drainage passage. In the south, Maple Creek and West Branch Mill Stone Creek cut into the uplands before the terrain drops again toward the Clarion River.
This elevation surface is designed for county-wide comparison rather than survey-grade measurement. Parcel, construction, drainage, bridge, or engineering work requires authoritative elevation data or professional surveying.
Forest County was created in 1848 and took its name from its extensive woods
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission records state that Forest County was created on April 1, 1848 from part of Jefferson County and enlarged on October 31, 1866 with land from Venango County. The county was named for its extensive forests. Marienville served as an early county seat before Tionesta became the seat after the 1866 expansion.
The same state history describes lumber and leather tanning as important early industries. Timber interests shaped the county through much of the nineteenth century, and large areas of original forest were cut before public and managed forests expanded. The broad undeveloped spaces visible on the modern map reflect the county’s continuing forest identity.
The state history also notes that Allegheny National Forest covers more than forty percent of the county. That helps explain why the map contains so few dense settlement areas. Roads such as PA 66, PA 666, and PA 62 connect isolated communities through large forest tracts rather than serving a continuous developed corridor.
Tionesta Lake is a key landmark for the county’s western lowlands
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers identifies Tionesta Lake as a flood-control project authorized under the Flood Control Acts of 1936 and 1938 and completed in 1940. It is part of a larger system intended to reduce flooding along the Allegheny and upper Ohio rivers.
On the map, the reservoir lies immediately east of the Allegheny River in a narrow forest valley. The shoreline is closely enclosed by hills, and the upper lake transitions into Tionesta Creek and tributary channels. This geography makes the lake much more than a single blue feature; it marks one of the county’s principal low corridors.
The Corps describes the lake as winding through the rugged hills of northwestern Pennsylvania. That description matches the supplied elevation map, where the reservoir valley remains low while ridges rise quickly on both sides. Comparing the water and elevation maps is especially useful around Tionesta.
The southern Clarion River side connects with the Cook Forest landscape
The county’s narrow southern extension reaches the Clarion River and a broad forest landscape associated with the Cook Forest region. Pennsylvania DCNR describes Cook Forest State Park and the adjoining Clarion River Lands as a major northwestern Pennsylvania natural area known for old-growth white pine and hemlock.
DCNR also highlights a scenic 13-mile stretch of the Clarion River through the park and identifies the Forest Cathedral as a National Natural Landmark. These features provide useful context for the high wooded terrain and river corridor along the southern edge of Forest County.
Settlement is very sparse in this southern section. Maple Creek and West Branch Mill Stone Creek occupy low corridors between high hills before the land drops toward the Clarion River. The resulting landscape is much closer to a continuous forest-and-stream environment than to a town-centered road network.
Use the general map for roads and the terrain maps for the forest interior
The general reference map is the quickest choice for communities and highways. It places Tionesta, Marienville, Parrish, PA 62, PA 127, PA 666, PA 36, PA 66, and PA 899 in one view. Because the ranked-city graphic includes only Tionesta, the general map is the better choice when comparing multiple settlements.
The terrain-and-water map is more useful for the Allegheny River and Tionesta Lake on the western side. Tionesta Creek, Salmon Creek, Coon Creek, West Branch Mill Stone Creek, and the Clarion River show how deeply streams divide the forested interior. The elevation map makes the low valleys and high ridges especially easy to compare.
For printed handouts, classroom use, regional reference notes, or presentation slides, the A3 high-resolution JPG files in the download archive will remain sharper than enlarged web previews. Pairing the general and elevation maps works well for roads and relief, while the water map shows how stream valleys shape the county’s sparse settlement pattern.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I use Tionesta or Marienville as the main Forest County reference point?
Tionesta is the easiest starting point for county-wide orientation because it combines the Allegheny River, Tionesta Lake, PA 62, and PA 36 in one area. Marienville is the better second reference for the eastern forest and the PA 66 corridor.
Why does the ranked-city map show only Tionesta?
The supplied graphic selects one major ranked place and prints a value of 323 for Tionesta. It should not be read as a complete current population ranking for every community in Forest County. Use the general map for Marienville and other settlements and consult Census data for current population comparisons.
Why does Forest County look so deeply cut by valleys?
Tionesta Creek and many tributaries have carved narrow low corridors through forested uplands whose mean mapped elevation is about 483 meters. Across the 314–596 meter range, streams sit well below neighboring ridges, producing the repeated valley-and-ridge pattern visible on the elevation map.
Map File Information
The download ZIP contains four A3 high-resolution JPG files: the Forest County general reference map, ranked-city map, terrain-and-water map, and elevation map. The original files are larger than the web previews and are better suited to printing, classroom handouts, regional reference work, and presentation slides.
- Included Files: Use only the versions confirmed in the article and supplied images
- File Type: Use the confirmed download contents
- Intended Use: Printing, education, presentations, and map-based projects
Related Maps
Sources and References
- Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission – Forest County: county creation, the 1866 expansion, Tionesta county-seat history, and lumber-era background.
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Tionesta Lake: official information on the reservoir and surrounding forested hills.
- Pennsylvania DCNR – Cook Forest State Park: official information on the Clarion River, old-growth forest, and northwestern Pennsylvania landscape.
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line Shapefiles: county boundary and transportation geography.
- USGS National Hydrography: rivers, streams, lakes, and reservoir data.
- USGS 3D Elevation Program: elevation data and 3DEP documentation.
Green Map creates custom-edited map images using open geographic data sources such as geoBoundaries, Natural Earth, OpenStreetMap, and government open data. These maps are edited visual materials, not raw data files, and are provided for education, documents, presentations, and graphic reference.
