More than 425 popular campsites across Pa. are closed indefinitely

[terrylane]

Reservations made at impacted sites on Raystown Lake, Seven Points, Susquehannock, Nancy’s Boat-to-Shore Campgrounds, Tompkins Campground on Tioga-Hammond and Cowanesque Lakes will be refunded.


https://www.inquirer.com/news/pennsy...-20250319.html

[twogypsies]

Originally Posted by terrylane

Reservations made at impacted sites on Raystown Lake, Seven Points, Susquehannock, Nancy’s Boat-to-Shore Campgrounds, Tompkins Campground on Tioga-Hammond and Cowanesque Lakes will be refunded.


https://www.inquirer.com/news/pennsy...-20250319.html

Can't read it unless I pay for a subscription.

[RickNC]

Originally Posted by twogypsies

Can't read it unless I pay for a subscription.

From the horse’s (USACE) mouth. Making camping great again.

https://www.nab.usace.army.mil/Media...osure-of-camp/

[Bill Gail]

Darn , didn't have this issue last Summer !

[Dieselboy]

Originally Posted by RickNC

From the horse’s (USACE) mouth. Making camping great again.

Would you be in favor of the government continuing to borrow money to keep the camping open? Or would a better solution be to take the staff from the dam operations and flood control to keep the camping open?

I love camping, you probably do too. Just curious how much you love it.

[NLOVNIT]

THREAD ADVISORY!

Keep ALL political commentary out of this discussion if you want this thread to remain open.

[Trapper2022]

Thanks for the update. Plenty of of other places to camp at.

Safe travels

Enjoy the journey

[NXR]

Originally Posted by twogypsies

Can't read it unless I pay for a subscription.

Not paywalled for me for some reason:

Several federally operated campgrounds at one of Pennsylvania’s most popular summer destinations will be closed indefinitely due to “executive-order driven staffing shortages.”

Raystown Lake, in Huntingdon County, is the largest lake entirely within Pennsylvania. The 8,300-acre lake is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and, according to a news release from the agency’s Baltimore office, staffing shortages will require staff to focus on “dam operations for flood protection and emergency response readiness” ahead of the 2025 season.

According to the Army Corps, the lake’s Seven Points, Susquehannock, and Nancy’s Boat-to-Shore Campgrounds all will be closed until further notice. All told, more than 300 campsites will be closed as a result of the announcement, including boat-in-only sites.

In addition, further north in Tioga County, Tompkins Campground on Tioga-Hammond and Cowanesque Lakes will also close, along with its swim beach and boat ramp. Tompkins has approximately 125 sites.

Avid campers know that lakefront campsites are difficult to obtain in the summer, in Pennsylvania and beyond, and many are reserved well in advance of the season. According to the Army Corps, refunds will be provided to campers who made reservations through Recreation.gov.

In Northwestern Pennsylvania, the U.S. Forest Service operates approximately 1,000 campsites on the Allegheny Reservoir, though there has been no news of closures. A spokesperson for the agency could not immediately be reached for comment.

Raystown Lake was created by a hydroelectric dam process in 1973 and unlike other large bodies of water in Pennsylvania, like Lake Wallenpaupack and Harveys and Conneaut Lakes, it has seen almost no development. There is not a single house on its 118 miles of shoreline. Raystown is the only lake in Pennsylvania where visitors can rent houseboats, though many of them anchor at Nancy’s Boat-to-Shore Campground, which is now closed.

Ray

[Bigceasar]

Not sure the Army Corp of Engineers had being campground managers as part of their mission when they were organized. Sounds like a perfect opportunity to take bids for a concessionaire to take over the daily operation of the parks. The government get a guaranteed payment and there isn’t a full bird Colonel cleaning the sites. (I’m joking about the Colonel, he most likely would just assign his least favorite Lieutenant to the task).

[ChrisDParise]

So what's the plan for all the COE campgrounds on the Mississippi River?

I don't get it. Campground support and maintenance is all private anyway. The Corp controls all the locks and dams as it should to maintain commercial traffic and clear waterways.

Every spring the COE Thomson Causeway campgrounds opens at different times in May depending on river levels which the Corp controls and heavy rain often closes the campground during the season.

I don't see a viable money making opportunity for any consessionaire. Nor do I want to see a beer garden, ice cream truck driving through the campground while I am hiking, watching pelicans or eagles on the river.

As a Lifetime Senior Pass holder stakeholder I don't want this.

[Beamer2022]

I'm not sure about those facilities, but most state facilities of this type run on their own dime. The money they take in has to cover operating costs. Capitol improvements will sometimes be covered by the over all government agencies, but not always.

If that is the way they were operated, I don't understand why they were shut down. They may have been making a slight profit that was going back to the controlling agency.

[OldBaldFat]

Originally Posted by Beamer2022

I'm not sure about those facilities, but most state facilities of this type run on their own dime. The money they take in has to cover operating costs. Capitol improvements will sometimes be covered by the over all government agencies, but not always.

If that is the way they were operated, I don't understand why they were shut down. They may have been making a slight profit that was going back to the controlling agency.

The money paid for camping, day use, etc is not the problem. The money for 2025 has already been budgeted. It cannot be spent on anything not included in the budget.

The reason for the closures are that full-time federal employees needed to provide oversight and many tasks which make the CG operational have been, or are being fired or furloughed.

Well, many have taken the early retirement/ buyout.

The COE is developing a serious manpower shortage in some areas.

The COE have a lot more things on their plate than campgrounds. My main memory of the COE growing up was flood control. We visited COE campgrounds on Arkansas lakes in the summers.

But I also remember floods destroying homes, businesses, and people dying almost every spring in southern Arkansas and northern Louisiana. (1955-70 mostly.)

The wife and I volunteered for 6 months with the COE in Thomaston, CT - mainly cleaning day use areas for 'dry dams' that were built to try to avoid disasters like the 1955 floods - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1955_Connecticut_floods

[Paul_D]

The campgrounds were not closed due to money. Read closely and you will discover its a lack of personnel. COE makes revenue from the campgrounds.

From their website

" these campgrounds are a significant part of the COE's overall revenue stream".

[daryl123]

Its a political issue so not to sure how it can be discussed with out it