Outdoor enthusiasts eagerly anticipating the reopening of Tuttle Point Campground in Pymatuning State Park, Pennsylvania, will have to wait a little longer, as the anticipated Memorial Day weekend opening has been pushed back to mid-July due to weather and supply chain issues.
According to a local report, the state closed Tuttle Point Campground after the 2009 camping season as a cost-saving move. However, the ground was broken on the $8 million project last May, and construction work began last summer with an expected spring 2023 opening. The revamped campground will be smaller than before, with 112 campsites spread out over two loops instead of 201 sites over three loops.
According to Dan Bickel, superintendent of the park, the delay in reopening the campground is due to the need to install three pre-fabricated buildings and connect them to utilities. These buildings include a main restroom and shower building for the campground, a smaller restroom for the beach at Tuttle Point, and a building to house the campground’s water treatment plant equipment.
Additionally, the ground remains very soft in the area, and landscaping and grass seeding will need to be done this spring to ensure that the ground is stable before opening the campground. Paving work for the revamped campground will also need to be completed before it can be opened to visitors.
Bickel said that reservations won’t be able to be taken until late spring or early summer, and a firm opening date won’t be established until then.
“We’ve been getting a lot of calls about it — about five or six calls a day,” Bickel said of people wanting to know when Tuttle Point Campground will reopen.
When Tuttle Point reopens this summer, visitors will be able to enjoy a new handicapped-accessible fishing pier and boat launch, in addition to the new buildings and paving. The campground also has new water and sewage lines and a new sewage pumping station.
While the delay in reopening Tuttle Point Campground is unfortunate, the improvements being made to the campground will enhance the visitor experience.
Tuttle Point is a camping area featuring first-come, first-served campsites perched at an elevation of 976 ft. in the state of Pennsylvania. Visitors may find numerous amenities and a comfy place to pitch a tent. The surrounding area also offers outdoor enthusiasts the simple pleasure of being outside.