Currently, Rock Run has over 140 miles of trail and earns about $500,000 annually with ATV and dirt bike riders coming from over 28 states.

“It’s been pleasantly surprising to see how people come from Maryland, Ohio, West Virginia, New Jersey and New York. They appreciate the work we put into the place,” Haluska said.

“I know Sheetz gets flooded in the summertime with people coming through,” he said. “It brings a lot of money into the economy and supplies a lot of jobs for people.”

Haluska said that many out-of-state riders who travel to the area often stay at hotels in Altoona, Clearfield, Ebensburg or Johnstown.

Courtesy photo ATV riders climb a trail at Rock Run Recreation Area in Patton.

Dustin Biss of Frederick, Maryland, said he visited Rock Run for the first time this year after his friends told him about the trails in the area. He said they stayed at a hotel in Altoona to enjoy a weekend of recreation at Rock Run.

“I like to ride the hills and do the most difficult stuff,” Biss said. “I just find it fun.”

Rock Run has three levels of color-coded trails: green, for easy trails; blue, for more difficult trails; and black, for the most difficult trails.

Andrew Ross, of Punxsutawney, said he appreciates the different trails because anyone can ride them.

For Ross, visiting Rock Run every year brings back memories of riding with his family when he was younger.

“My parents used to come here when I was little,” he said. “Then I got back into riding and started coming here again.”

One reason why Haluska, who was a state representative when Rock Run opened in 2007, thinks it continues to grow is because there aren’t many other recreational opportunities to ride dirt bikes and ATVs in the surrounding areas.

“They built the Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area, but they modeled it after Rock Run because Rock Run was the first one the state got involved in,” he said. “The county runs that whereas here we are a nonprofit.”

In 2005, Haluska was informed that a coal-mining company was going out of business and that the property, which would later become Rock Run, would be for sale.

He approached the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Cambria County Conservation and Recreation Authority with the hope of purchasing the land for motorized recreation.

“In the House, we passed a bill that said the state would spend money to look for areas to provide riding opportunities for people,” he said of the initial idea for Rock Run.

Haluska said that DCNR provided a grant to purchase the land, and a group of riders formed an advisory board to the Cambria County Conservation and Recreation Authority to provide guidance on how to best develop the property.

The board hired a company in Pittsburgh to create a master site development plan.

“We had a lot of input into it,” he said. “Once we got this document, we went back to DCNR and got another grant to do the first segment, which was the entrance road, the visitor center and the first 50 miles of trail.”

Jon Elder of Martinsburg, West Virginia, said he has visited Rock Run every year since it opened.

“I’ve seen it grow from less than 50 miles to what they have now,” Elder said. “It’s a nice place to come, and they keep it clean. They have the best facilities for ATVs.”

Some facilities that Rock Run has added since opening include a maintenance garage, shower houses, a concert stage and over 300 campsites.

“We’ve come a long way,” Haluska said. “When we first started, we didn’t have any money. We went to the Cambria County Business Alliance and borrowed $50,000 because the banks wouldn’t give us any money.”

Haluska said he is surprised by the increased demand for Rock Run merchandise, which is made by companies in Altoona and Johnstown.

“When we first started, we thought we’d put a couple hats and T-shirts in the visitor center. Clothing is probably 30 percent of our business today. It’s amazing,” he said. “We probably sell $80,000 or $100,000 worth of merchandise in a year, but you would never think that.”

Rock Run features several events throughout April to October, which includes Summer Blast, Rally at the Rock and a Toys for Tots run at the end of its season.

In August, the 10th annual Summer Blast event is expected to bring more than 5,000 people to Rock Run. Haluska said that camping reservations for Summer Blast sell out within weeks of tickets being sold.

“We’ve found our season,” he said. “We let the tickets go in February, and within two weeks, the campsites are sold out. We have concerts for two nights. It grows every year.”

Haluska ties the success at Rock Run to the advisory board made up of riders.

“I think that was the key when we got started,” Haluska said. “They knew how to build the park to have people enjoy it. It was riders building something for riders rather than some engineering company building something for riders.”