Sandy Beach Park

Ridgway Township owns Sandy Beach Park which has land on both sides of Laurel Mill Rd. and is next to the Allegheny National Forest. The park has 4 pavilions, a softball field, baseball field, fenced dog park, volleyball courts, fishing stream, two playgrounds and about a mile of walking trails. From Ridgway head west on Main St. which will turn into Laurel Mill Rd. The park is on the left, about 3 miles from downtown Ridgway. There is a large sign and there are two entrances so don't panic if you miss the one at the sign. 6712 Laurel Mill Rd. usually works in a GPS.

We are working with Ridgway Township to develop The Laurel Mill Mountain Bike Trails. These trails will be across the road from the main park, using the hilly terrain and will complement the other activities in the park. We hope that in the future the Forest Service will allow biking on some of their trails and we will build a bridge over Mill Creek to connect all the trails.

The site of the park was once a sawmill and small boomtown when the area was logged in the 1800's and that's why the area is known today as Laurel Mill. Working with the Lumber Heritage Region of Pennsylvania we have received a $30,000 grant to assist in the development of the mountain bike trails. The trails will include interpretive signs with information about the area's logging history and we plan to have displays as well, perhaps incorporating old mill equipment into the terrain of the trail. Work on the first mountain bike trail, a loop around the eastern half of the area has started. Please check back for more info as work progresses.