A Dayton family is taking on the challenge of reviving a once popular campground near Mahoning Creek Lake in Wayne.
Colleen Gearhart and her family members have agreed to sublet the Milton Loop Campground for 10 years from Armstrong County, which has had a no-cost lease with the federal government for the property since 1981.
“There's no charge to sublease it, but the Gearharts will be responsible for all updates and maintenance at the campground,” said Chief County Clerk George Skamai. “It's an expense the county couldn't take on, so the Gearharts will get to run the campground and keep the profits.”
The campground off of Route 839 was opened by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the 1960s to complement its facilities at the Mahoning Creek Lake dam and boat launch. Declining business led to its closure in 1980.
“There was an outcry from the community when it closed, so the county stepped up to take over the campgrounds,” Skamai said.
The county signed its 50-year lease on the land and operated the campground until 2006. It has sublet the property for others to run twice before the Gearharts. Bill Doverspike of New Bethlehem was the most recent, operating the site from 2009 until last year.
Doverspike said the campground brought in about $18,000 annually, but had expenses of about $25,000.
“I enjoyed it, but it needed a lot of repairs,” Doverspike said. “Electricians and plumbers don't come cheap anymore.”
The family — which owns Gearhart's Country Market in Dayton — plan to get around that truth by doing the work themselves at the campground that includes a mix of primitive campsites and cabins with electricity. The family, which includes Colleen, her brother, Harry, and his wife, Amanda, say they know they have some work ahead of them.
They have started by cutting high grass and replacing water lines to campsites and buildings with locker rooms.
“When we first got there, the water was orange from all the iron and rust in the waterlines and holding tank,” said Harry, an electrician and plumber. “We replaced all of it and have crystal clear, clean water again.”
The family expects to have only a small number of campsites ready for use this summer.
“We're working to get the campgrounds up to where we want it to be so we can be ready to open the entire thing up next summer,” Colleen said. “This year is going to be a lot of upgrades and preparation for next year.”
She said a love of camping and nature drove the family to try and revive the struggling campground.
“We just want to give people the chance to enjoy nature and camping like we do,” she said. “It's absolutely beautiful out there.”
Brad Pedersen is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 724-543-1303, ext. 1337, or bpedersen@tribweb.com.
