Construction closes over half the campsites at Locust Lake State Park in Barnesville

Hyun Soo Lee, Republican & Herald, Pottsville, Pa.
·3 min read

BARNESVILLE — Visitors at Locust Lake State Park this year will have to look elsewhere to go camping, as more than half of the campsites are closed for the season due to ongoing construction.

Nearly 160 of the park’s 282 campsites are currently unavailable, as crews are working to replace two showerhouses and install electrical, water and sewer hookups for recreational vehicles.

Robert Sweeney, park manager, said that it was necessary to upgrade the aging facilities, which date to the 1960s.

“The showerhouses are just at the end of their useful and cosmetic lifespan,” he said.

Locust_Lake_4

A sign posted Wednesday outside a construction area on the campground at Locust Lake State Park says the campsites are closed.

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has contracted KLA Roofing & Construction LLC, Everett, for the $4 million project, which is being paid for by the state.

The shower facilities will be completed by the fall, Sweeney said, and all of the upgrades will be in place by the start of the next season in late March 2025.

Sweeney said campsites 89 to 213, in the southwestern part of the campground, are currently open.

All other camping areas — including what’s called the electric loop, which encompasses sites 1 through 88 — are unavailable because of the proximity to the construction sites.

The beach side of the campground — sites 214 to 282 — is also off-limits, with “No Trespassing” signs posted around a fenced-in area where a new showerhouse is to be installed.

While that area will be closed for camping, the beach itself will be open for the park’s swimming season, which begins Memorial Day weekend.

Meanwhile, Sweeney said, another area has been cleared to the south and will be equipped with full-service outlets for larger RVs.

Linda DeCindio, of Tuscarora, lamented the loss of her favorite camping site but said that she would spend more time camping elsewhere this summer, including at Busch Gardens and Virginia Beach.

DeCindio and her family usually camp out at site 75, along the electric loop.

“Camping’s not our main thing, but it is beautiful up here,” she said. “Of all the places we’ve been, this is the nicest.”

Julia Sophy, of Orwigsburg, was also disappointed when she heard about the construction, but she said the facility upgrades will be worth it. Sophy goes camping at the park at least once a year with her husband and grandchildren.

“I was happy that they’re making full hookups for the RVs,” said Sophy, who has several camping trips planned this year, including at Frances Slocum State Park in Luzerne County and Assateague Island National Seashore in Virginia.

Robin Tracey, park naturalist, said the new facilities will benefit Locust Lake, which she said is the top tourist attraction in Schuylkill County.

“We’re over 50 years old, and we haven’t had any major upgrades,” she said, “so this is wonderful. … People have been asking for full RV hookups for a while.”