Bathroom facilities at Lackawanna and Ricketts Glen State Park campgrounds are nearing a combined 100 years old.
The facilities will be upgraded to modern standards beginning in September 2026.
"The bathrooms are old. The crews up there at both parks do a great job of keeping them clean and providing the best facility they can. But the new facilities, I think, are going to be worth the wait,” state Parks Assistant Regional Manager Alex Stout said.
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced this month that Governor Josh Shapiro’s administration will invest a combined $8 million into the two parks.
"They're the original buildings. So there's some issues there, obviously age and infrastructure issues ... but also they're a little bit behind the times of accessibility, as far as ADA," Stout said.
In 2023, Pennsylvania's outdoor recreation industry contributed $19 billion to the state's economy. Gov. Josh Shapiro has made parks a priority during his administration.
"That's been a big help to the Bureau of State Parks, for us to be able to be able to upgrade the facilities that we see that are aging out or are not serving our visiting public to the standards that they should be,” Stout said.
Bathroom facilities from the '70s
Lackawanna State Park in Benton and North Abington townships in Lackawanna County opened in June 1972. The campground was added three years later.
“The sites can handle just about everything from plush land yacht motor homes to pickup campers and tent trailers and on down to those who want ‘walk-in’” said a June 11, 1975 article in The Scranton Times.
Three restroom facilities will be replaced in Lackawanna's campground loops. Paths will improved to the buildings.
Ricketts Glen became a state park in 1943. The park sprawls across parts of Luzerne, Sullivan and Wyoming counties.
It's named for Colonel Robert Bruce Ricketts, whose battery of artillerymen fought during the Civil War. Ricketts is said to have purchased the land to live in peace and quiet after the war. He was one of Pennsylvania’s early conservationists who timbered much of the land but preserved 2,000 acres. It’s now considered an old growth forest.
Recreational facilities opened in 1944. Stout said the campground facilities were added in the 1970s.
Ricketts Glen has two restroom facilities that will be demolished and rebuilt.
"In order for us to do a major demolition and rebuild of a complete facility, we have to close the facility in order to make be able to make those upgrades,” Stout said.
While both campgrounds are closed, park staff will work on infrastructure and campsite upgrades that are difficult to do when the campground is open.
Stout says that can include updating water and sewer valves, electrical hookups and removing hazardous trees to make the campsites safer.
"The standards have changed ... we've got to the point where we want to be able to accompany any visitor to the state park,” Stout said.
Parks will not close
Group tent camping for organizations like Scouting America, church organizations and others will stay open at both parks. Ricketts Glen also has modern cabin facilities that will also be available.
All of the parks’ other amenities will be available.
Stout said construction is expected to wrap up in time for the campgrounds to reopen in early 2028.
While the campgrounds are closed, DCNR is encouraging visitors to stay the night at the state’s other parks in the area, including Promised Land and Hickory Run in the Poconos, Worlds End in Sullivan County, and Salt Springs in Susquehanna County.
"We hope people understand that sometimes these projects are just something that we really don't have any other ability to do, other than to close the facility, to do the type of work that we're going to do," Stout said.
