Map of Raystown Lake Area

For a map of Raystown Lake, go the link below:

http://www.nab.usace.army.mil/Portals/63/docs/Recreation/Raystown/RaystownRecMap.pdf

For information about Raystown from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, go to the link below:

http://www.nab.usace.army.mil/Missions/DamsRecreation/Raystown.aspx 



The current 8,300-acre Raystown Lake was completed in 1973 by the Army Corps of Engineers. There are many recreational opportunities around Raystown Lake, although the optimistic boom in tourism never really occurred, due partly to the fact that much of the surrounding land is owned by the Army Corps of Engineers and is not available for residential development. Therefore, summer homes, etc., were built near the lake but not on the waterfront and never grew as popular as had been hoped. However, this makes the experience of boating on the lake very different from many other lakes; the hills on the shores of the winding lake are blanketed right down to the water by the trees.

Recreational activities primarily were planned around summer water-based and outdoor sports by Karl Kaufffman, chief of outdoor planning and Michael Kolessar, project planning chief, both of Baltimore District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Their plan included impounding 8,300 acres (3,400 ha) to create a 30-mile-long (48 km) lake, creating 110 miles (180 km) of shoreline. In the early stages of the recreation creation it was projected that there would be 1.4 million annual visitors with a $2 million annual intake (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1974). There were also the plans to build Seven Points Marina recreation area and Rothrock camping area.

Seven Points Marina was planned to provide long-term boat storage and marina services according to minimum specifications set by USA-CE. Kauffman and Kolessar stated that Seven Points recreation area was designed for public use and convenience, with camping areas, boat launching sites and bathing facilities-to provide the "whole gamut of outdoor recreation." Also it was to be advertised national and supervised by the USACE Raystown Force.

Rothrock camping area would provide a camping space with a boat launching ramp, beach and shower facilities.