Director Jud's Blog

Raystown Lake Skills Park Dedication: SMA Summer Camp for Teens

Posted by Jud Millar on Mon, Oct 24, 2016

Mountain biking enthusiasts and members of various organizations instrumental in the construction of Raystown Skills Park cut the ribbon to officially open the park Wednesday morning at the Raystown Visitors Center at Seven Points.

 

Anyone who attended Stone Mountain Adventures Summer Camp for Teens this summer knows about the the new Raystown Lake Skills Park.  There was recently an official ribbon cutting ceremony at the Skills Park attended by many.  

summer-camp-for-teens-3.jpg

 

New Call-to-action

Despite the harsh conditions imposed on the park this summer, the trails maintained their overall integrity to reach this occasion.

“The paths throughout the skills park, as well as the trails themselves, have withstood the rain very well,” said U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) park ranger Allen Gwinn. “We did have more water than expected flowing through the areas designed for it, so we did have to go back through and touch up things to address some of those run-off areas, but it hasn’t caused any significant problems with the trail.”

 

The park has also maintained its integrity under hundreds of bike tires each week after its initial soft opening in early July, according to Huntingdon County Visitors Bureau (HCVB) executive director Matt Price.

“It was well received the first weekend it opened,” said Price. “A lot of riders of all ages were there, from 5-yearolds on the beginner trails to adults who were doing the advanced and intermediate loops. There are now usually about 100 riders who use the park on a given day during the weekend.”

New Call-to-action

The future is also bright for the park in terms of use, Price explained. Many people who were visiting and camping this season didn’t bring their bikes, but saw the park across the road from the Visitor’s

Center. Many of these campers may bring their bikes next year, or come back in the fall when the seasonal transition from boaters to bikers begins.

 

 

Evan Gross, president of the Raystown Mountain Biking Association (RMBA), recalled a time when there was very little bike activity in the county and compared it to what can be found today.

“It’s been awesome for people in the community to recognize the value and power of mountain biking,” he said. “Years ago, you’d go into Huntingdon and never see a bike. Now, you see kids riding in the streets, road bikers on the road and mountain bikes mounted to cars in the downtown. That’s truly the hallmark of success.”

summer-camps-for-teens.jpg

The Raystown Skills Park is now officially open. It was made possible with the cooperation of several agencies, clubs and organizations, as well as over 600 hours of volunteer work. It is situated across the road from the Raystown Visitors Center at the Seven Points Recreation Area and is open all hours of the day, seven days a week.

 

Summer Camps For Teens

 

Summer Camp For Teens

 

Fun Summer Camps For Teens

About Director Jud's Blog

This blog will give you the "411" about everything that is Stone Mountain Adventures Teen Summer Camp!  Everything from "Summer Updates" to useful family and camp resources.  Check it out! 

Subscribe to Email Updates

Recent Posts

Posts by Topic

see all