It’s been 50 years since Mauch Chunk Lake Park opened its gates to residents and visitors as a recreational gem for Carbon County.

On Thursday, park director David Horvath and parks and recreation committee vice chairman Rick Forgay provided an update on how the 50th anniversary celebration season went, and outlined plans for the future.

“We had an excellent year,” Horvath said, noting that it was a record year for daily admissions to the beach and swimming areas.

There was also an increase in individual and family memberships to the lake, as well as cabin rentals and camping reservations.

Horvath pointed out that the camping season is winding down. However, it remains open until Oct. 26.

“The fall has actually gotten just as popular as the summertime,” he said.

Because of this, the park has been making investments to the sites, including purchasing 40 new campfire rings and several hibachi cooking areas, and plans for purchasing a number of new picnic tables for the camping areas.

Other improvements include replacing a section of sewer line to one of the bathroom facilities and earmarking approximately $5,500 for updates to a section of the Switchback Trail.

“The Switchback Trail is our most popular trail,” Horvath said, “so we want to make improvements and make sure we keep up with the maintenance on that trail.”

The park, while swimming is done for the year, is still bustling with activity.

The county has been utilizing the parking area for additional fall foliage parking for visitors, and staff will soon begin removing docks and winterizing buildings.

Outlining activities that took place to mark the 50th anniversary, Horvath said that family movie nights on the beach were very well received and plans to continue it next year with one movie a month during the late spring and summer months.

Annual pow wows and Heritage Festivals were also held, bringing more people from both in Carbon and from surrounding areas to the park.

“It was a really good season,” Horvath said.

Forgay added that in addition to the activities, the staff at the park has been great.

He highlighted the lifeguards that have joined the ranks who are dedicated to the job.

“I actually witnessed a lifesaving event there,” Forgay said. “They are massively professional.”

He also commended Horvath, the parks and recreation committee, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and the commissioners’ support for making Mauch Chunk Lake Park a true destination for county residents.

Looking ahead, the county is working on a restructuring of rates for the season using incremental changes instead of larger rate hikes while taking into consideration the visitors that utilize the park.

Full details of these changes have not yet been announced by officials.

Commissioners’ Chairman Mike Sofranko thanked the staff for all they have done, saying that the ideas of the park staff and committee are helping the county move forward on ways to best utilize and showcase Mauch Chunk Lake Park.

He said that one highlight he heard was the decision to only allow Carbon County residents into Mauch Chunk Lake beach and swimming on July 4.

“That one day seems to really resonate with a lot of people,” he said. “It is a big decision and I think that shows that the board is putting county residents about the almighty dollar.”

The commissioners asked if there was any talks about adding more cabins to the camping area, which Forgay said there had not been; however, it could be looked at by the committee in the future.

Mauch Chunk Lake, a 350-acre recreational area for swimming, boating and fishing that also served as a reservoir to prevent flooding in Jim Thorpe, opened to the public on Aug. 27, 1974.

Four years later, camping was added to the grounds and now boasts 135 tent sites and 15 cabins.

Today, thousands of visitors enjoy the grounds annually.