Stone Valley Recreation Area & Vertical Adventures

Stone Valley Recreation Area is located in Huntingdon County of Central Pennsylvania, just 17 miles from State College. Stone Valley is owned and operated by The Pennsylvania State University, but all visitors are welcome to enjoy this year-round attraction.



At A Glance:
•700 acres of varied eco-systems within the 7,000-acre University Experimental Forest
• 72-acre fresh-water Lake Perez for boating, fishing and ice-skating (no swimming)
• 29 miles of trails for hiking and cross country skiing
• structures include lodges, cabins, park office, pavilions and picnic tables
• boat rentals include canoes, sailboats, paddle boats, kayaks, pontoon boats and rowboats (Note: You must have sailing certification to use Stone Valley sailboats.)
• equipment rentals include barbecue grills
•sorry, pets are prohibited

Wildlife:

You'll find a host of water-loving creatures, including frogs, beavers, and turtles. You can also often see deer, ducks and geese, depending upon the season. Species of fish you'll find in Lake Perez include:

•Trout
• Bass
•Pickerel
•Sunfish
•Crappies
•Catfish


Related Links:

•The Pennsylvania State University


• Student Affairs/Campus Recreation


•Shaver's Creek Environmental Center





Our History

The recreation area was established in 1961, but the region has a deep history of early Native American culture, fur-trapping, iron ore production, and farming.

During the 1930's, the land was acquired by the United States Resettlement Administration and later came under the jurisdiction of the United States Forest Service. In 1940, The Pennsylvania State College (now "University") entered into agreement with State and Federal Agencies to use these forested lands, construct buildings, and develop roads for the College's educational programs. Subsequently, the Mineral Industries, Forestry and Civil Engineering Lodges were built to accommodate the summer field courses taught by these departments.

In 1954, the Federal government deeded the land over to the University, and in1957 a Stone Valley Management Committee initiated plans to construct a dam across Shaver's Creek. With the completion of the dam in 1960, and the allocation of 574 acres of land in the Stone Valley Tract for recreational development, the Stone Valley Recreation Area was born. A year later, the Department of Civil Engineering, School of Forestry, and Department of Geology transferred their control of the facilities to the College of Health and Physical Education, now the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics