Allegheny County Rivers
LOWER OHIO RIVER LOOP - (9) Dashield's Lock and Dam
Directions: From the intersection of PA 51 and University Boulevard in Moon Township, head north on PA 51 (a.k.a. Stoops Ferry Road) for 2.0 miles. At Riverview Road, turn right. (Prominent signs at this intersection indicate Spring Run Road Ext, which is a left at this intersection.) Drive 0.2 miles, passing a tunnel under a railroad track on your left, to a split in the road. Bear left following a sign for Shouse Park. Just after crossing the railroad tracks, but before heading straight up the hill into Shouse Park, turn right onto the Dashields Dam access road. There is a sign on the gate that indicates that the gate is closed at 3 PM daily, but it has been open 24 hours a day for years. Follow the one-lane access road along the railroad tracks (yield to any oncoming traffic before passing the gate since there is no room for 2 cars to pass each other) until you see the river. There are possible parking areas at this bend when the river is first visible, and at the end of the road near the locks. There is also a pullout that can fit about 4 cars halfway between the two.
Description: The Dashields Locks and Dam access road provides a command view of a productive stretch of the Ohio River in western Allegheny County. It is a popular site for fishermen and thus is open to the public so long as they stay out of the way and do not become a nuisance to the everyday business at the locks. The primary attraction at Dashields are migrant waterfowl, gulls, and terns in season. Dashields is the most reliable place in Allegheny County to watch for Bonaparte's Gulls, Caspian Terns, and Forster's Terns in spring, primarily in mid-April. Common Loon, Double-crested Cormorant, Osprey, and Bald Eagle are also regularly seen in season; Great Egret, Black Tern, and Common Tern are occasional. Any waterfowl might be possible during migration, even "sea ducks" such as Long-tailed Duck and Surf Scoter. Dashields also supports a small colony of Herring Gulls, which have nested at the dam every summer since the mid-1990s. Rarities found at the dam include Black Scoter (2 records), Laughing Gull (2 records), Lesser Black-backed Gull (2 or 3 records), and Red-throated Loon (1 record).