Raystown Parking

xc62701

Well-Known Member
Hey all. I'll be driving out tomorrow and hitting up Raystown. Where's the best spot to park. I'll be doing most of the trails so I want access to the north and south portions of the trails. Is there parking right on Seven Points Rd? I see there's a skills park as well. Is that worth exploring? Give me some info if you could. Thanks!
 

JDurk

Well-Known Member
The parking lot on Baker's Hollow Road is larger and at the North side trailhead. Has a porta potti, tool area and a bike parts vending machine. The smaller lot (like maybe 5-10 cars) on Seven Points Rd puts you at the South side trailhead https://www.google.com/maps/@40.3905507,-78.087378,111m/data=!3m1!1e3, don't remember if there's a porta potti. It is inside the park and a bathroom at the park entrance just back up the road. There is a trail connector between both lots. The skills parks is an out and back from the south side lot, or park at the visitors center.
 

xc62701

Well-Known Member
The parking lot on Baker's Hollow Road is larger and at the North side trailhead. Has a porta potti, tool area and a bike parts vending machine. The smaller lot (like maybe 5-10 cars) on Seven Points Rd puts you at the South side trailhead https://www.google.com/maps/@40.3905507,-78.087378,111m/data=!3m1!1e3, don't remember if there's a porta potti. It is inside the park and a bathroom at the park entrance just back up the road. There is a trail connector between both lots. The skills parks is an out and back from the south side lot, or park at the visitors center.
Awesome, thanks! Is the skills park worth a visit?
 

GSTim

Formerly M3Tim
I'm headed out there on Monday for a few days, hopefully the weather is good. Is there a preferred route, I was there about 10 years ago and can't remember anything except having a blast. :D
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I'm headed out there on Monday for a few days, hopefully the weather is good. Is there a preferred route, I was there about 10 years ago and can't remember anything except having a blast. :D

From this:

I would park at the skills park if you want to do the whole thing. You can hit the whole park in a day but it's a big day. I have to say I seem to remember the park being bigger than this map, but I'm old and my memory fails me.

That lower left loop: not sure either direction is better. Just wing it.

On the right side, just hit Ray's Revenge from right-to-left on that map. That's from top to bottom. Also hit Hydra in the CCW direction. Sidewinder top to bottom is necessary as well.

If you split the park in 2, that right side would be best in this sort of order:

Buck
Allie
Grippis
Ridge
Ray's Revenge
Sidewinder-to-Osprey
Hydra CCW
Eagle
Sleek Dog
Fawn
Buck to the parking lot

Osprey might be worth going from the top, but it's been too long, I don't recall.

Stony connects the 2 parking lots. There are pretty much no rocks in the whole park with the exception of that trail. And suddenly it's like ALL THE ROCKS ARE HERE then gone.

Let us know how it goes. Been a few years so I am curious if the trails are being maintained there or not.
 

onetracker

Well-Known Member
If anyone needs a camping spot next week, I am happy to share my spot in Rothrock. Plan to Ride Tussey Monday, Coopers Gap Tue. Also probably head up to Rays on Wed and ride Rays on Wed+Thurs. Camping at 7 points on Wed night. Back to Coopers Gap on Thurs and ride CG on Friday then head home.
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
Hey all. I'll be driving out tomorrow and hitting up Raystown. Where's the best spot to park. I'll be doing most of the trails so I want access to the north and south portions of the trails. Is there parking right on Seven Points Rd? I see there's a skills park as well. Is that worth exploring? Give me some info if you could. Thanks!
I was just there and everything everyone said is pretty much on point. Doing the northside from the skills park is at minimum a 20 mile day depending on how you loop around over there. You should hit it, but sidewinder could be skipped, I think it was over rated. The direction of the trail on trail forks is the way to run everything.

Like anything. the skills park is what you make of it. My son and I sessioned it the two days we were there for probably 1.5-2 hours total (mind you we didnt have any particular place to be and he was dead on riding more XC). I can see how some would be bored with it but I guess if you 3'ing all the features first try, you sort run out of stuff to do.

Huntingdon is 20 min away and is "cute". I was a bit surprised that the town had some nice cafe's and such. Mind you, the peeps are pure central PA, so definitely people watch at Sheetz for a few min.
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
You should hit it, but sidewinder could be skipped, I think it was over rated.

It's how you get from Ray's Revenge to Hydra. Unless you plan on teleporting from A to B, there're really no other way to do that. I wouldn't call it overrated but I had never heard of it. I certainly would not say it was anything worthy of a 4-hour drive though, agreed.
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
It's how you get from Ray's Revenge to Hydra. Unless you plan on teleporting from A to B, there're really no other way to do that. I wouldn't call it overrated but I had never heard of it. I certainly would not say it was anything worthy of a 4-hour drive though, agreed.
There is two switchbacks uphill from that intersection which are technically the end of rays revenge? Idk, it was wet and slippery when we were there and 5 nica kids fell in front of me. Probably why the am sour haha
 

JDurk

Well-Known Member
Woody's BBQ is pretty good. Couldn't remember the name and had to look it up and it's right next to the Sheetz that @stb222 mentioned for people watching. That is not overrated.

Juniata Brewing Co. has some good beers.
 
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