Raystown advice

Rusty

Well-Known Member
OK, (bragging) headed to Raystown mid month...totally looking forward to it and have read every word on line about the place, etc. I really have just two open questions.

has anyone had good luck with a dinner spot in huntington or nearby that stands out (sounds like few good food options) we are camping and eating breakfast/lunch at campsite, but want to eat out at night.

and

the best (fastest) way from 76 to the seven points area...I see we could exit in any one of three places. in this google map link there are three choices on the left, which is fastest? http://tinyurl.com/d4969lj
 

Pearl

THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING
Boxer's Cafe in Huntington as recommended by Paul at EMS.

Good food, good beer (not that I cared) and a cool little vibe. I remember it being reasonably cheap as well. It was jam packed and felt like the local spot in town. Wood go again.

The drive; Go with whatever you feel comfortable with. You wont hit any traffic.
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Sadly you are too far south to witness Amishville on Big Valley Pike.
 
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BiknBen

Well-Known Member
I'm leaving to go out there in a couple hours. Spending the weekend with the kids. Boxer's Cafe is the only spot I've eaten out at during one previous visit. The pub food and beer selection is good.

http://raystown.org/places-to-eat/boxers-cafe.html

I'll be there at least once this weekend. I may be looking for other spots. If I find something, I'll provide an update.

I get off Rt 76 at exit 180. You may want to take your first route option so you can drive through Huntingdon and check out the eateries.
 
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JDurk

Well-Known Member
Went there last year and the directions we took were 76W to Harrisburg. Followed 283 to 83 to 81 around Harrisburg then continued out on 22/322W.

Stopped at Woody's BBQ on the Huntingdon Bypass on the way. Good beer and meat.
http://www.woodys.com/

Have fun.

JD
 

Rusty

Well-Known Member
Thanks all! and I went to college in PA, well aware of the beer deal, will pack it in for sure....
 

ecsnsmb

Active Member
Spent the last five-ish years of my life out there - amazing trails and great people. Such a beautiful place. Boxer's rocks and is basically attached to the bike store, Rothrock Outfitters. Great beer selection and good post-ride good. Get the pies. No questions asked. I used to take 78 West to 22/322 and did it in about 4hrs from Exit 109 on the Parkway. The trails are outrageously fun, enjoy!
 

Mildly Wild

Active Member
We were there in June with a group. 2nd time there, love those trails, and although Raystown had the reputation for being "totally out in the sticks" we found plenty of things to do nearby.

Coming out of 7 Points Drive from the trails and turning right, Rte 26 will lead north to Rte 22 (about 4 miles). Turning right on 22 there's a few miles of retail on both sides. Lots of places to eat there. Also, there's a neat little auto museum about 5 miles east on 22 (Swigart Auto Museum) Cheap to get in, but really nicely laid out and kept with great old primo stuff: 1937 Cord, (2) Tuckers, 1908 Oldsmobile, much more. The Tuckers were the newest cars in the place.

Also coming out of 7 Points at the intersection of 26, if one continues straight the Hesston Motor Speedway is right around the corner. Old time dirt track stock car racing - they run Saturday nights in the summer and sometimes Sunday. And if you're into this kind of thing (we were) there's even a community playhouse just north of 7 Pts on 26. We also checked out the beach on the lake itself. Nice clean well kept beachs. Good swimming and even better if one brought a boat. May be able to rent boats nearby, possibly even jet ski. Lots in the area to do when riding is done for the day.:D
 

Rusty

Well-Known Member
Cool, thanks again for the info...got me with the Auto Museum, that's a must do on my list now...

No races, as we'll be doing a wed, thurs, fri and maybe sat AM thing...

Any other don't miss riding spots between there and Trenton? I was thinking of hitting up something on the way home, but haven't gotten excited about any place in particular that I can find on the internets....
 

Rusty

Well-Known Member
OK, you guys were spot on.
1. Worth the drive from Jersey for sure
2. Place is completely awesome
3. Boxers is about the best food around, especially the old lady's homemade pie.

GO THERE....never rode anywhere as fast as that...nice leg testing climbs followed by miles of FAST downhill sections....

Will attempt some gopro editing and post....

Rode Nockamixon on the way back and that was fun too, but flat!
 

bear

New Member
I think of Swatara as "little raystown" - not quite as well marked but doesn't need to be, just always turn-right or turn-left to hit it all; and about 9m of independent trail.

Rattling Creek is a whole different animal. Really enjoy the trails there, most everything you want, including major "PA rock" sections (see Rocks Ridge and parts of Fawn Kill). Suggest starting at the parking lot on the east side, just up the hill from Lykens; doing the short loop to the east of the rd as a warmup, then heading into the bulk of the trail system. If you save the east-side for later you probably won't want to hit it. ;^)

(I live in PA about an hr north of Swatara and 90-120 min from Rattling)
 

BShow

Member
Word about the beer... bring your own for camping. U either buy a case or get ripped off for 6 pack at a bar. PA has weird beer law.

True.

Boxers is a local hole in the wall that's owned by one of the guys that helped make the Raystown trails what they are. They have some of the best pub food I've had and the beer selection is good. It's also dirt cheap - like 30 bucks for a dinner for two, with a couple beers.

I've been out there a handful of times, and every time I end up going to Boxers for every meal that I'm not preparing myself. Frankly, there isn't much else out there that looks even remotely appealing. I did see The BBQ place last time, and it looks like a place that's worth trying - if that's your thing. One thing you should plan on is making your own breakfast. 7 or 8 trips out there now and I've still not found a place to get a decent coffee and breakfast. Huntingdon is a freakin' ghost town in the morning. It's almost eery.

To get there, I've done 76 out, and that was a huge cluster. there's a million turns and a million back roads. I got lost and nearly ran out of gas. The suggestion to go up to Harrisburg and across 22/322 is better/easier.
 

Rusty

Well-Known Member
OK, my horrible video skills first week with my GoPro, so go easy...two links:

a long downhill on the Stony Trail at Raystown....this is "just the trail you take to get to the good stuff"...note I did nearly no pedalling for over 2 mins. You can tell it's fun from Al's giggle at the end. Seatpost mount... I'll clean the lens next time....

http://player.vimeo.com/video/47860906

then some poorly edited boring stuff from Nockamixon...I missed the really cool rock garden section tho....all chest harness mount, btw.

http://player.vimeo.com/video/47786296
 

BonsaiMTB

New Member
Cool, thanks again for the info...got me with the Auto Museum, that's a must do on my list now...

No races, as we'll be doing a wed, thurs, fri and maybe sat AM thing...

Any other don't miss riding spots between there and Trenton? I was thinking of hitting up something on the way home, but haven't gotten excited about any place in particular that I can find on the internets....

I know this is late....and I don't know how out of the way this is to Rays Town..but Blue Marsh is a great ride. I believe its 27 or 36 miles around the lake depending if you take the easy out before the Ski area. Either way..its 90 percent single track with little to no rocks...like long hilly ride with a cool lake right next to you. I've done it a half dozen time..and would recommend it to anyone in the Reading area:)
 

bear

New Member
....and I don't know how out of the way this is to Rays Town..but Blue Marsh is a great ride.

Blue Marsh is ~23 for the main loop, with ~7 for the extra "ski slope" side, about 30 overall. It's not horridly out of the line-of-march. I'm guessing 10-12 miles north of I76. Blue Marsh sits just west of Reading mainly accessed off either PA 183 at the Church Rd parking area or Brownsville Rd at the State Hill Rd access - just west of the State Hill Rd/Brownsville Rd intersection.

For excessive info you could wander over to MTBR - I ran a group ride there last July, turned out in the heat of the summer ==> clicky linky.

Closer to I76 though would be French Creek SP - south-east of Reading and south-west of Pottstown. I like to park at the pull-out nr the intersection of Fire Tower Rd and Scotts Run Rd. map linky. The trail crosses Fire Tower Rd just to the west of this pull-out. It would also be very reasonable to park down at the side of Hopewell Lake, on the south-west side there is general parking, there is trail access just a little ways up Park Rd. I don't know how up to date it really is, but one trail map of FC is available over here (GIF)
 
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