From Past to Present: The Story of Raystown Lake
Nestled in the Allegheny Mountains, Raystown Lake is the largest lake entirely in Pennsylvania, offering a blend of natural beauty and historical significance. The lake is part of the “ridge and valley” section of the Appalachian Mountain range, a region shaped by millions of years of geological processes, including shifting continental plates and erosion. This unique topography naturally channels rainwater runoff into the Chesapeake Bay watershed, which spans 963 square miles, and runs into the Juniata River, the Susquehanna River and eventually the Chesapeake Bay—roughly three times the size of Huntingdon County.
The Early Inhabitants
Before Raystown Lake was even a thought, the land around it was home to various groups of Native Americans. The first people to settle in this area were mobile bands of hunters and gatherers, likely migrating north from the south as the ice sheets in northern Pennsylvania slowly began to retreat. Eventually, the Susquehannock Indians established roots in the region. One notable historical site at Raystown Lake is the Sheep Rock Shelter, located between mile markers 7 and 8. Here, early inhabitants used the natural rock formations to shield themselves from the elements. Archaeological excavations of this area occurred just before the creation of the lake, offering a glimpse into the lives of these early settlers.
The Origins of Raystown's Name
The name “Raystown” has its roots in the mid-18th century when a Scottish trader and trapper named Robert McRae established a small trading camp near Bedford around 1750. This camp eventually grew into a small settlement commonly referred to as “Ray’s Town”. The name later became associated with the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River and, ultimately, the lake itself.
The Evolution of Raystown Lake
The Simpson brothers, George Ernest and Warren Brown, were ambitious entrepreneurs with a vision of harnessing the power of the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River to bring electricity to their rural community. In the early 1900’s, they founded the Raystown Water Power Company to do just that. After years of fundraising and recruiting local investors, the company finally began building their dam and hydropower plant in 1906 with the help of nearly 150 laborers (mostly Italian immigrants) who built the dam by hand. By 1911, the facility was supplying electricity to customers living in Huntingdon and the surrounding communities. The first Raystown Dam, standing 45 feet tall, still rests nearly 200 feet beneath the surface near mile marker 2, just upstream of the present-day 225-foot-tall dam. The original version of Raystown Lake created by this dam was much smaller, about a quarter of its current size.
After devastating floods in 1936 that impacted much of the Juniata and Susquehanna River valleys, the need for a larger and more robust dam became clear. The Flood Control Act of 1962 authorized the US Army Corps of Engineers to oversee construction of the present-day Raystown Dam, and work began in 1968. The Raystown Dam project took nearly a decade to finish from the planning stages to construction completion in October 1973. The official dedication ceremony took place on June 6, 1974, by then Vice President Gerald R. Ford, who, interestingly, is the only U.S. president to have worked as a park ranger.
“… may the Raystown Dam we dedicate here today challenge us to dedicate ourselves to building a better nation and a better world for us all.” – Gerald R. Ford, 1974
The project came at a hefty price tag of $76 million. Remarkably, Raystown Lake had already begun proving its worth even before it was completed. In 1972, Hurricane Agnes struck the area, and despite the dam being only 58% finished, the structure saved taxpayers an estimated $60 million in flood damage. Since its completion, the dam has been credited with preventing hundreds of millions of dollars in potential flood damages. In 1993, the lake reached its highest elevation to date, 802.29 feet, a full 15.5 feet above normal levels​.
Raystown Today: A Crown Jewel
Today, Raystown Lake stands as a testament to the value of protecting our shared public lands and resources. Drawing over a million visitors annually, the lake contributes approximately $19 million in related sales. Surrounded by 21,000 acres of lush, forested mountain slopes and offering 8,300 surface acres of pristine water, Raystown provides countless opportunities for outdoor recreation activities. Whether you're interested in camping, boating, hiking, mountain biking, fishing, or hunting, Raystown Lake offers something for everyone.
Multi-Purpose Functionality
Raystown Lake serves four primary “missions”, including flood control, recreation, natural resource management, and hydropower.
Flood Risk Management: Raystown Lake serves a variety of purposes, with its most important purpose being flood risk management. Raystown Lake begins in the small town of Saxton and flows 28 miles to the dam and outlet works facilities near Huntingdon. Standing at 225 feet tall and spanning 1,700 feet (approximately 5 football fields), the dam is one of the largest in the northeastern United States. Raystown is designed to protect downstream communities during periods of flooding by regulating water flow into the Juniata River, which empties into the Susquehanna River and, eventually, the Chesapeake Bay.
Recreation: Beyond flood control, the lake also plays a key role in providing general outdoor recreation opportunities. It is home to numerous publicly accessible facilities operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), including 3 campgrounds with over 380 sites, 8 boat launches, 9 reservable picnic shelters, 2 swim beaches, 2 disc golf courses, 2 overlooks, 5 trail systems, and numerous picnic areas. Except for camping, all of these facilities are free for the public to use. Year after year, the Seven Points Campground is consistently one of the highest-grossing campgrounds out of more than 4,000 recreation areas and 440 campgrounds operated by the USACE, generating over $1,000,000 in revenue annually.
Visitors can also enjoy a range of amenities operated by private concessionaries that lease property on the Raystown Lake project. The Rothrock Area, opened in 1978, was the original name for what is now known as the Lake Raystown Resort. In 1984, Lake Raystown Resort held the ribbon cutting for its new $9 million development, which has expanded into a large resort complex featuring full hook-up campsites, cabins, a marina, restaurant, water park, conference center and more- https://rvcoutdoors.com/lake-raystown-resort/. The Seven Points Marina is the largest marina in Pennsylvania, boasting over 900 wet and dry dock slips, boat rentals, a restaurant, and more- https://7pointsmarina.com/
Natural Resource Management: The primary objective of Raystown Lake’s Environmental Stewardship Program is to maintain and enhance the quality of the existing natural resources through an active management program designed to optimize the natural resource potential of the project. This program is broken down into three major components: wildlife management, forest management, and fisheries management. All areas at Raystown Lake are open to public hunting, except for public recreation areas, such as boat launches, beaches, campgrounds, etc. Check out our “Natural Resources” tab for more info.
Hydropower: Despite its early history as a hydropower lake, the current Raystown Dam didn’t actually have a hydropower facility until nearly 15 years after it was built! Congress proposed building a hydropower plant in the dam’s initial design but ultimately decided to nix it from the plan. It wasn’t until 1977 that plans for a hydroelectric plant were announced, with construction starting in 1986. The $41 million William F. Matson Hydroelectric Generating Station was completed in 1988 by 14 rural electric cooperatives. Today, the 21-megawatt hydropower plant, operated by the Allegheny Electric Cooperative, uses the lake's outflow to generate electricity to power 8,500 homes. Water flows through this hydropower facility most of the year, and during high water periods, additional flow is directed through the Raystown spillway as needed.
A Legacy of Conservation and Recreation
The creation of Raystown Lake has had a lasting impact on both the environment and the local community. It not only serves as an essential resource for flood damage reduction, but has also become a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts from across the world. With its breathtaking scenery, diverse recreational opportunities, and rich history, Raystown Lake stands as a prime example of how thoughtful engineering and conscious environmental conservation can bring lasting benefits to both people and the environment.
Be sure to check out the educational exhibit room inside the Raystown Lake Visitor’s Center (6993 Seven Points Rd, Hesston, PA) to learn even more about this incredible natural and historical treasure!