Vibrant and exciting signs of spring are popping up across the 118 miles of Raystown Lake shoreline every day. Here at the Huntingdon County Visitors Bureau (also known as the Raystown Lake Visitor Center), we're looking forward to another busy season of teaching visitors how to make the very best of their time in the Raystown Lake Region. One of the most frequently asked questions is how to navigate this enormous lake! There are several points of interest from the Northern to Southern end of the lake that offer a variety of public recreation opportunities. It helps to get the lay of the land before/when you arrive so you don't waste one precious moment of memory-making, struggling to navigate the area. Especially when GPS isn't always reliable out in these mountains.
Seven Points Recreation Area
There are two main public recreation areas: Seven Points and Tatman Run, Seven Points taking the lead offering the most recreational opportunities. On the way into Seven Points, you'll pass Seven Points Bait & Grocery which is sure to have anything you could possibly need, including camping/watersports/fishing gear, delicious sandwiches and snacks, Hershey's ice cream, and Raystown garb. Across the road is a local BBQ favorite that every customer falls in love with, Backwoods Smoke Shack. Try their brisket and thank us later!
Camping
There are 7 campground loops in the (hence the "Seven Points" title) that are for all different kinds of camping, from primitive tenting to luxurious RV'ing. Senoia and Point camps have the most popular waterfront campsites. Bay, Ridge, Meadow and Valley camps are the other camping loops. Susquehannock campground is located on its own peninsula adjacent to the Seven Points recreation area. and it's primarily for primitive tent camping. If you want to camp but don't have an RV, you can rent one from A&G RV Camper Rentals or Freedom RV Rentals. They will set one of their campers up for you to arrive and tear it down when you leave, so all you have to do is show up and enjoy! Reserve a campsite by typing in "Seven Points Campground" in the search bar of recreation.gov.
Nancy's Boat to Shore campground in James Creek is for tent camping only because it's only accessible by boat. Putt's Camp is a high adventure primitive campground at the Southern end of the lake in Saxton. Putt's is designated for Scout troops and other nonprofit organizations. There are hundreds of other privately-owned campgrounds in the region that offer different types of accommodations and amenities - check them out in our Lodging section!
Raystown Lake Visitor Center
The Raystown Lake Visitor Center is in the heart of Seven Points. The Visitor Center is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Huntingdon County Visitors Bureau who partner to operate the Welcome Counter, Exhibition Area and Raystown Reflections Gift Shoppe. The gift shop is full of fun and unique souvenirs, clothing, toys, knick-knacks, maps, visitors guides, camping gear, snacks, etc. You can gather free maps and information, become a Junior Ranger, learn about geocaching and even loan fishing rods and tackle boxes here! Huntingdon's famous Standing Stone Coffee Company has a special coffee brewing Keurig in the Visitor Center for a tasty pick-me-up. You do not want to leave this building without checking out the beautiful vista-view on the back deck! The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers rangers and volunteers work hard year-round to maintain the pollinator habitat, rain garden and songbird habitat surrounding the Visitor Center. Raystown Lake Amphitheater sits amidst the trees beside the Visitor Center. It's used for public concerts, performances, exercise and educational sessions, movie nights and wedding ceremonies. Keep an eye on the events calendar on raystown.org for events happening around the lake!
Raystown Lake Picnic Shelters
For $70/day, you can reserve one of the picnic shelters bordering Raystown Lake and have it all to yourself. Within Seven Points, there's Pine Shelter beside the Visitor Center, Redbud and Dogwood shelters which share a piece of land overlooking the water, Allegheny Shelter which is the favorite for wedding ceremonies because of the gorgeous vista-view and long walkway, and Oak Shelter which sits at the end of a peninsula adjacent to Seven Points Beach. They each have picnic tables, charcoal grills, public restrooms and playgrounds right beside them. Other picnic shelters are available for rent at Corbin's Island which sits along the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River. There are also Aitch Boat Launch, Tatman Run beach and Weaver Falls. If they aren't reserved or occupied, they can be used on a first come, first served basis. Reserve here: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/255284
Seven Points Beach
Seven Points Beach is divided into two areas; a large concrete bottom area and a smaller sand bottom area tucked into a cove. There's plenty of space to claim a spot to lay out, set up a beach tent, soak in the sunshine and swim. The smaller area is often called the "kiddie" beach and many families with small children prefer its shallow, sandy access. Plenty of open, grassy hillsides surround the beach with shade also available. A sand beach and sand boxes are on both sides of the swimming area. Lighthouse Concession Stand and Lighthouse Water Trampolines offer family fun and great food to beach goers during the summer. The concession stand is attached to a changing house with showers and restrooms. Mooring posts for boats and jet skis are near the water trampolines and playground. Picnic tables and grills scattered around the beach area are first come, first served.
Beyond the beach area is the privately owned Seven Points Marina. They have a diverse fleet of houseboat rentals that allow guests to live on the lake for a week at a time - some even have hot tubs and slides on the roof! Pontoons and fishing boats are also for rent at the Marina. Raystown Rentals sits beside Seven Points Marina; they are owned and operated by Rothrock Outfitters, renting canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards waterside Friday through Monday throughout the Summer. Rothrock Outfitters is open year-round for boat and mountain bike rentals.
Boat Launches
Seven Points public boat launch is 1 of 7 public boat launches at Raystown Lake. Snyder's Run, Aitch, James Creek, Tatman Run, Shy Beaver and Weaver Falls are the other public boat launches for motorized boats. Throughout peak season (Memorial day-Labor day) the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Raystown Lake updates the boat launch statuses regularly on their Facebook page. If you want to spend a sunny day boating the lake, you'll want to get to a boat launch as early as possible to get your boat in the water and claim your parking spot. There's nothing like watching the sun set on the lake too, though!
Allegrippis Trail System & Raystown Mountain Bike Skills Park
The world renown, award-winning Allegrippis Trail system is made up of 24 trails - a total of 36 miles ranging from easy to difficult skill levels. Mountain bikers travel from all over the world to "rip the grip." The Allegrippis Trails are arranged as stacked loops, giving the user the opportunity to plan a route as short or as long as they would like. There are nearly endless combinations, so even riders who come back time after time have the opportunity to use a new route each time. At the end of the VeeCee Trail and across the road from the Visitor Center is the Raystown Mountain Bike Skills Park. The Skills Park is a one-of-a-kind dirt bike loop of leveled trails, jumps and bridges where riders can build their skills for the trails!
Walking/Hiking Trails
Multiple hiking trails wind and weave throughout the Seven Points area, offering a variety of scenic views. The 4.5 mile long Old Loggers Trail is for hiking only (no bikes) and the trailhead is located a half mile between the Entrance Station and Visitor Center. Follow the Sheep Rock Spur part of the trail for a beautiful panoramic view of the lake! Hillside Nature Trail is a short half mile hike through the woodsy hillside behind the Raystown Lake Visitor Center. The Greenside Pathway is a 2.5 mile trail that makes a full loop around the Seven Points Recreation Area, taking walkers through an underground tunnel and along the beach and bay. It's made of recycled car tires, giving it a "squishy" comfortable feel.
Tatman Run Recreation Area
Tatman Run is another public beach closer to the Southern end of the lake. It has a public boat launch, restrooms, picnic shelter, playground, small sandy beach and a large, spacious grassy hillside. A few miles down the road from Tatman Run are two other popular local attractions: Lake Raystown Resort and Trough Creek State Park.