Posted on March 17, 2025
BALTIMORE — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District, which oversees operations of numerous Flood Risk Management and recreation sites throughout the Susquehanna and Potomac River Basins, will close several campgrounds and beaches due to staffing shortages that will prohibit the safe operations of these facilities ahead of the 2025 recreation season.
USACE staff will continue to prioritize tasks essential to public health and safety, such as dam operations for flood protection and emergency response readiness. The following recreational offerings will be impacted.
Raystown Lake in Hesston, Pennsylvania
- Seven Points, Susquehannock, and Nancy’s Boat-to-Shore Campgrounds will remain closed until further notice.
- Scheduled recreation and stewardship events will be reduced and are subject to cancelation.
- The Raystown Lake Visitor Center, as well as day-use facilities such as beaches, overlooks, picnic pavilions, walking trails, boat launches, disc golf courses and the mountain bike skills park, will remain open.
- Leased areas and concessionaries, including Seven Points Marina and Raystown Resort, will operate according to their respective schedules.
Tioga-Hammond and Cowanesque Lakes in Tioga, Pennsylvania
- Tompkins Campground, including its swim beach and boat ramp, will remain closed until further notice.
- Cowanesque Lake day-use facilities such as picnic pavilions, walking trails, boat launches, disc golf course, and picnic areas will remain open.
- Ives Run Campground and Visitor Information Center, as well as day-use facilities such as picnic pavilions, walking trails, boat launches, disc golf course, swim beach and picnic areas, will remain open.
- Lambs Creek Recreation Area and boat ramp will remain open.
- Scheduled recreation and stewardship events will be reduced and are subject to cancelation.
- Leased areas and concessionaries, including Mill Cove, Tioga Little League Fields, and Mansfield Veterans Park will operate according to their respective schedules.
Visitors who have paid reservations that have been cancelled due to campground closures will be refunded via Recreation.gov. All refunds generated within the Recreation.gov system will be communicated through email. For assistance, go to https://help.recreation.gov/helpcenter.
These closures do not impact recreation areas on Jennings Randolph Lake located in Garrett County, Maryland, and Mineral County, West Virginia, or projects that are operated and maintained by non-federal entities. The Baltimore District has various agreements where USACE-owned property is managed by city, county, or state governments, and/or private individuals. There are 12 properties in two states that fall into this category:
- Kanakadea Park, East Sidney Lake and Dorchester Park in New York
- Bald Eagle State Park, Kettle Creek State Park, Aylesworth Park, Curwensville Lake, Mill Cove, Tioga Little League Fields, and Mansfield Veterans Park, Lake Raystown Resort and Seven Points Marina in Pennsylvania
Updates regarding Baltimore District closures will be communicated via the Raystown Lake website and Facebook page, as well as the Tioga-Hammond and Cowanesque Lakes websites and Facebook page.
Additional Information
Baltimore District delivers vital engineering solutions in collaboration with its partners to serve and strengthen the Nation, energize the economy, and reduce disaster risks. Headquartered near Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, Baltimore District provides design, engineering, construction, environmental, and real estate expertise to various important projects and customers. This support spans five states, the District of Columbia, overseas, and the Susquehanna, Potomac, and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. These civil and military missions and diverse engineering services support communities and warfighters while addressing the ever-growing list of emerging national security requirements and ultimately protecting the Nation.
