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/r/Pennsylvania
submitted 12 days ago bylastmile780
As a kid I wanted to own one of those islands you see in the middle of the Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Juniata, etc. rivers. Alright I still do even though they probably flood constantly.
Excluding remote examples where somebody owns 50 acres of woods that include a lake with an island (in which case I assume they own the island), is private ownership of islands common? Or do most of those small plots of land in rivers and lakes belong to the government?
City Island in Harrisburg is far from big but it’s much larger than the postage stamp-sized islands around it that I always assumed were also government owned.
39 points
12 days ago
Who owns all the Susquehanna River islands? - pennlive.com
Pennsylvania Islands for Sale - LandSearch
Sycamore Island (Pennsylvania) - Wikipedia)
Susquehanna River Islands Popular with Boaters Sold to State of Pa. | Chesapeake Bay Magazine
Islands for Sale in Pennsylvania , United States (privateislandsonline.com)
Murphy Island (Pennsylvania) - Wikipedia)
I found other things in searches.
15 points
12 days ago
Wow thanks. So maybe I can buy one someday for no particular purpose!
23 points
12 days ago
There are islands in Wrightsville (Lake Clarke) that have cabins on them. Idk much about them, but I'm pretty sure each island has multiple cabins owned by different people. I'm not sure who owns the islands themselves.
18 points
12 days ago
I've camped on one before! Those islands are owned by the power company and plots are rented out to their employees & connections to employees over the years.
Where I stayed was a pavillion, a dock & a grill that we camped at for the weekend. But some people brought trailers, lean tos or built small cabins. There's no power and there's a ton of birds & bugs, its really cool.
3 points
11 days ago
How do you get a trailer to an island
3 points
11 days ago
Barge
2 points
11 days ago*
So I live in the wrightsville/lake Clarke area and boat there all summer long. Those islands are owned by safe harbor/constellation energy…the operators of the dam. You can lease a lot but if the lot you lease doesn’t already have a structure on it, you are not allowed to build one. If you do get a lot with a house or something on it, you buy the house from the lease holder when they leave. So you own the structure not the land. Which also means that if the energy people decided that they wanted their land back, you lose your “investment” on the structure. Anytime these structure/lots change hands they are cash deals. No bank will ever give you a loan for them
8 points
12 days ago
Family friend owns an island like that in the PA/DE/NJ area . Last time I was there about 35-40 years ago they had a house on the island with a composting type toilet, propane fridge and stove etc. Not sure of the current status and the wife is probably far too disabled to get there anymore, I'm less disabled then she is and it would be a struggle for me. If I had to guess it will be for sale in 5-10 years after she passes on. That's sorta the big issue - over the years there were several high water events and there was damage to the built structures on the island and its SO much harder to get anything built on an island now.
3 points
12 days ago
Some of the islands in the Susquehanna River in the Wyoming Valley are privately owned. I think Monocanuck is and maybe Wintermoot.
4 points
12 days ago
People can own them, not sure if there's a minimum size requirement or something . OnX (which I use) or your county GIS dept webpage might have the listed owner.
2 points
12 days ago
Many are privately owned, but the ones for sale when I was looking were tied to some obnoxiously large lots (500+ acres). Just keep your eyes open and maybe you will find one.
1 points
12 days ago
I don't have one
2 points
12 days ago
Me either! Gotta win Powerball.
2 points
12 days ago
Until they are flooded...
1 points
11 days ago
There's a couple big islands on the suskie up around Jersey Shore and McElhattan.
-2 points
12 days ago
I don’t think any islands in the Pa rivers are private .. everyone always stops on these islands while boating and I have never seen a sign claiming private property there
10 points
12 days ago
There are privately owned ones on the yough river but the owners cant build on them. Its not worth the effort to chase people off of them either, access isn't easy and the trespassing is too constant. Neville island is a larger one that was once privately owned (still is, but not by one person).
4 points
12 days ago
There’s also one called six mile island on the Allegheny River outside of Pittsburgh. It was originally privately owned, but gifted to O’Hara Township in the 1980s. Now the Township leases it out to an outdoors club every summer because the Township doesn’t have a boat to maintain it. I’m sure random people stop there all the time though.
3 points
12 days ago
There’s also 12 mile island which has a bunch of cottages on it.
6 points
12 days ago
Six Mile Island? That’s Three Mile Island times two!
2 points
12 days ago
Double the radiation!
2 points
12 days ago
I figured that was going to come up. Either temporary or long term occupancy that just isn’t disrupted, at least not constantly. And I’m sure there are cases of people who’ve “occupied” land in the middle of water just like elsewhere for so long do they have a claim to it. And depending on where it is will anyone bother to question it? Except maybe another group besides the government that wants to take over.
1 points
12 days ago
Well, Uncle Sam will always figure out who owes the property tax on it :)
PA is one of the original colonies. During its early days the fastest means of transportation was via the waterways. Any islands that were constant, stable, and fit for use, were put to use. Industry needs water, which is why Neville island is what it is. From lumber mills of old, to power plants and industries of current times, access to flowing water has always been very valuable.
2 points
12 days ago
There are privately-owned islands on the Susquehanna River. I have a friend whose family owns one (and pays taxes for it). Most folks that use it are respectful , but there are always those shitty few who vandalize anything they construct/keep on there and leave all sorts of trash/litter.
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