There aren’t many places that attract senior citizens, dog walkers, skateboarders, and children at the same time. Pine Hill Regional Recreation Area is an exception.
In 2002, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) provided $55,000 in Keystone Fund grants to further develop Pine Hill. Work included the construction of a play area, pavilion, parking lot, and ADA access.
“This recreation area is designed for all ages, and that is exactly who uses it – everyone,” said Washington Township Code Enforcement Officer Jerry Zeigler. “The park has become a popular place for seniors to come to sit and enjoy the view, walk the trails, and watch the skateboarders.”
The park also attracts a wide variety of users who come to admire views of Michaux State Forest, especially when the leaves change color in the fall. Families enjoy the atmosphere of the playground and pavilions. The park’s fields are used by youth sports leagues for practice and games. Groups of up to 20 have met at the park to walk their dogs on the trails.
It is not just Washington Township residents who enjoy the park, which is located about two miles from the Maryland state line. According to Zeigler, park users come from three municipalities in Pennsylvania and two counties in Maryland, and the skate park draws users from four states on a regular basis. Volunteer committees, Boy Scouts, youth groups, and local residents have all supported the park by planning projects, building trails, or donating money.
“Pine Hill has been a community effort to provide a recreation area that is top of the line, and the contributions to the park, in work, material, and dollars, have been almost unbelievable,” said Zeigler.
Washington Township acquired Pine Hill Regional Recreation Area in 1992. Since then, DCNR has partially funded other projects, too: a master site plan, land acquisition, and construction at Pine Hill. The park encompasses a soccer/football field, softball and baseball field, skate park, pavilions, volleyball court, playground, horseshoe pits, and trails. Township planners are already looking toward the park’s future additions, which hopefully will include more restrooms, pavilions, a roller hockey rink, and a small community center building.
“One of the objectives of this area was, and is, to bring together the young and the old, the grandparents and grandchildren, and to achieve a mix of facilities attractive to all age groups,” said Zeigler. “Thus far, it has been ingratiating to see how well this objective has been reached with all ages using the recreation area and interacting with each other.”
