Has Anyone camped at Rays Town Lake Army C of E site?

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Has Anyone camped at Rays Town Lake Army C of E site?

Postby kayakrguy » Thu Jul 26, 2007 4:56 pm

Hi Folks,

Has anyone camped at the Army Corps of Engineers campground at Rays Town Lake near Heston PA? They seem not to have any driving directions on their website. We are thinking of going there and would like to hear from anyone who has been there.

Thank you,

Jim Woods
A disposition to preserve, and an ability to improve, taken together, would be my standard of a statesman...

But what is liberty without wisdom, and without virtue? It is the greatest of all possible evils; for it is folly, vice, and madness, without tuition or restraint.

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Postby anonymous2 » Thu Jul 26, 2007 10:57 pm

Hi, kayakrguy,

I go to Raystown every fall 2nd weekend of October with a large group of canoe/kayak paddlers. You may want to rethink going there until after labor day. First, most of the sites are reserved as much as a year in advance. Second if you are planning on kayaking there,good luck! The lake allows unlimited horse power boats,and it is not uncommon to have boats flying up & down the lake at 60+mph{the lake is 26 miles long,plenty of room to open it up}. There are partyboats, speed boats,jet skies,house boats the size of 2 story houses{see picture}all churning up the water,and ramming every which way. The campgrounds are noisey,and facilities crowded. Did that once in the summer,never again.

After the first week in October sites are first come first serve. Just pull into a site{as long as it is not marked reserved by full timer} set up,and pay when the ranger station is open{usually after 9AM at that time}The lake is beautiful, and calm at that time. After Labor day reservations are still needed,but a little easier to come by.

PM me with what routes you would take to get close & I can give you 2 routes to take. One will take you through many towns{gas & restaurants},the other will take you a less traveled route with few town & stops. If you are from Jersey,the best route would be Pa turnpike to Breezewood exit{Rt 30 west} to 26 N to Hesston follow signs to Seven points marina{in pictures}to{visitors ctr,and camp grounds,ranger station}




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Last edited by anonymous2 on Thu Aug 23, 2007 7:28 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Thanks!

Postby kayakrguy » Fri Jul 27, 2007 4:32 pm

PTD,

Thanks very much for your reply and the information. The place/area sounds very nice. As to crazy stinkpots--they seem the bane of every wind/paddle powered boat. Hereabouts, on Barnegat Bay it is the 'personal watercraft aka jet skis. They are always killing each other, innocent people etc. Once, we had a jet skier come around a blind point, he and his girl fell off the ski and the ski kept coming--straight at us. Fortunately the throttle is dead man or we woulda been dead, man!

We put down the dates for your oct do and might try to make it.
Let me clarify one thing...are you saying that at this time of year it is impossible to get reservations?

Hope all is well with you and yours,

Jim Woods
A disposition to preserve, and an ability to improve, taken together, would be my standard of a statesman...

But what is liberty without wisdom, and without virtue? It is the greatest of all possible evils; for it is folly, vice, and madness, without tuition or restraint.

Edmund Burke
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Postby anonymous2 » Fri Jul 27, 2007 11:10 pm

Hi Jim,

You can try making reservations throught Reserve America. I think you can go to reserve America,and click on the site you are interested in,and it will tell you if it is already reserved for the dates you want. The loop that you seen in my pictures is the Senonia loop, sites 201-220 are along the water with bank launches right at your camp. This loop is the heavyist reserved because of the water access. During summer they are imposible to reserve.{unless reserved in January} There are other loops not near water,that may be reservable. Another loop has water access sites,but it is mostly full timers there. This time of year there is downright insane with people & boats.{not our cup of tea}You have to pay to launch at the marina,that's why many boaters pay once & reserve those sites to avoid multiple launch fees. When our paddle gathering is held it's first come, first served,no reservations{after 1st week of Oct.}.Launching from anywhere near the marina is free,as long as you don't use the ramp to launch.

Last year about 45 canoeist/kayakers from all over the east coast gathered there with over 55 hulls. This is the 6th year of the gathering ,and I am one of the original 13 that started it.You can follow our gathering plans by going here,and looking up Raystown{already a thread started}
http://www.paddling.net/message/showTop ... l?fid=meet
I post there as billinpa

Any farther question Pm,E-mail me ,be glad to help if I can.

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