Getaway in PA: Hiking and Swimming Close to Home at Raystown Lake

For 18 years, Ed Stoddard lived in State College and took advantage of everything Raystown Lake in Huntingdon County had to offer.

“It’s such a quick, hop-over-the-mountain trip,” says Stoddard, now the marketing director for the Huntingdon County Visitors Bureau. “It’s just not that far at all.”

The lake, which stretches over about 8,000 acres, is located just an hour southwest of State College toward Huntingdon. Stoddard says Penn State students and residents from all over Centre County use Raystown’s beaches in the summer, but there are plenty of other activities for families to enjoy during their holiday weekend.

“Folks love to get outside, get outdoors and get some fresh air here,” he says. “It’s a really nice outdoor escape for folks.”

Stoddard says the Huntingdon County area near the lake was his “playground” while he lived in State College. As an avid hiker, the trails are really what drew Stoddard to Raystown. Visitors can explore Trough Creek State Park by the lake and see some of the more interesting natural features there like the enormous boulder balanced on a cliff, aptly named “Balanced Rock.”

“It’s been there for eons and it’s just a neat thing to see,” Stoddard says.

For the more adventurous, there is the 33-mile Allegrippis Trail system for mountain biking. The trails range in difficulty from beginner to expert and everything in between so there’s a piece of trail for everybody.

Back at the lake, boat tours leave from two marinas – the Seven Points Marina (5922 Seven Points Marina Drive) and Lake Raystown Resort and Conference Center Marina (3101 Chipmunk Crossing) – and explore different areas of the lake.

Visitors can swim and fish in designated areas of the lake or rent a boat and explore the picturesque wilderness from the water.

“The thing that I’m most overall impressed with is the pristine wilderness,” Stoddard says. “It’s a very clean, unspoiled wilderness for a lot of this county. There’s a lot of public lands and a lot of places to just get outside and enjoy the forest as well as the lake.”

“I’d put the scenery in Huntingdon County up against anywhere in the state.”

Stoddard says there are more than 2,000 campsites throughout the entire county as well as numerous vacation homes, cottages, bed and breakfasts and chain hotels.

The Fourth of July weekend tends to be a popular time for families to make a trip to Rasytown Lake, and Stoddard expects thousands of people to head to the lake. But no matter how many people flock to Huntingdon County for their holiday getaway, there always seems to be plenty of space.

“There’s so many coves to tuck back into with that much shoreline,” Stoddard says. “It never seems congested to me. There’s always a place to go and enjoy your day.”

Click HERE for more information on Raystown Lake.

Know a great getaway destination in PA? Let us know. Email Shawn.Christ@StateCollege.com.