Improvements to Ryerson Park initiated
Campers who enjoy the facilities at Ryerson Station State Park will witness some major improvements to the Polly Hill Campground next summer.
During a ceremony at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 22, John Hallas, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Bureau of State Parks Director, and other bureau and state officials broke ground on a year-long project designed to make major additions and upgrades to the existing campground and its facilities. The nearly $1.4 million project is the first major campground renovation since the park opened in 1968.
When the project is completed in the summer of 2019, park visitors will be able to stay overnight or longer in three new deluxe cabins, which will have amenities the two existing cabins don’t have. These include a refrigerator, microwave and stove.
The new cabins will be constructed adjacent to the existing cottages and will have electric baseboard heating and each will also have its own parking space.
Although the two existing cabins have decks, the new cabins will feature covered porches. The rental fees have yet to be determined. The campground is currently closed to facilitate construction.
“This groundbreaking ceremony marks the initiation of a series of significant capital projects slated to occur here at Ryerson Station State Park,” Hallas said. “The campground renovation project, a vital component of the overall improvements designed for the complete rehabilitation of the park, will provide high-quality overnight accommodations to our visitors for many years to come.”
The Polly Hill Campground, the only campground in the park, will also see the construction of a new heated shower house, which will be a first in the history of the park.
The shower house will have modern shower heads, private shower stalls for both men and women, rest rooms and small coin-operated laundry facilities for campground users. The parking lot adjacent to the shower house will also be AVA accessible.
“Our goal is to have a portion of the shower house open year round,” said Alan Johnson, the park manager.
According to Johnson, a small number, from 6 to 8, of the existing campsites will have full hookups for water, sewage and electricity when the project is completed. A new sewage infrastructure will also be installed to service the discharge from the shower house and full hookup campsites.
To make driving through the park a lot more convenient, the entire road loop through the park will be resurfaced.
Future park improvements include a new swimming pool and spray park area, full channel stream remediation and affiliated recreation area improvements. Conceptual plans were displayed at the park office during the groundbreaking observance.
“For those who work at the park, visit it and support it, it is extremely gratifying, after many years of hard work and planning, to be witnessing this full-scale restoration of our campground,” Johnson said. “The project marks a significant step in the progress of the park moving into the future.”
Those attending the groundbreaking observance included Hallas; Tamara Peffer, DCNR Bureau of State Park Communications Liaison; Jeremy Rekich, regional manager; representatives of state Senator Camera Bartolotta and state Rep. Pam Snyder and JoAnne Marshall, director of Greene County Tourism Agency.
“Many enjoy the great outdoors and Ryerson Station State Park offers some of the best opportunities to showcase the natural beauty of Greene County,” Marshall said. “With the improvements and upgrades to the campground facilities, a diverse population of visitors will be enticed to make Ryerson Station State Park their destination vacation.”
Comprised of 1,164 acres, Ryerson Station State Park is in the southwestern corner of Pennsylvania, near the West Virginia border. It features a swimming pool, campground, hiking, fishing, picnicking and winter activities.
For details on Ryerson Station and Pennsylvania’s other 120 state parks, visit DCNR’s “Find a State Park” web page at https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/Pages/default.aspx.