The sun was just coming up as we hit the snow-covered roads, with temperatures barely reaching freezing. The brutal winds didn't give us much hope of finding more than an empty parking lot with a few loyal patrons waiting to hit the trails. We reached the top of the hill heading into Paragon Adventure Park in Hazelton, Pennsylvania, expecting to see nothing. Instead, we found a crowded parking lot and a huge line of people waiting to get inside and sign up for what was feared to be the park's final weekend.
Paragon Adventure Park, also known as PAP, is one of the largest adventure parks on the East Coast, and people drive hundreds-if not thousands-of miles every year just to wheel its incredible trails. The owners, Kyle and Stephanie Knosp, were just three years into a 25-year lease when they were informed that the property would be going up for sale for a proposed cargo airport. They are currently in a legal dispute with the landowner over the lease agreement.
More than 700 people in 500 vehicles came to the park to show their support in hopes of saving Paragon. We met people who traveled from as far away as Texas, Florida, Virginia, and Canada, and they were all there with two words on their minds, "save Paragon."
After all the vehicles went through the mandatory inspection-checking that the battery was mounted properly, making sure the hood is secure, and ensuring seatbelts were present for all passengers-they headed to the staging area where everyone lined up for one of the many organized runs that included a huge raffle with tons of prizes donated by several off-road companies. A little frostbite was well worth the great prizes people walked away with.
This was the scene for many...
This was the scene for many hours Saturday morning at the registration line-people just continued to pour in. Many of them have been coming here for years and wanted to show their support, while others were first-timers who feared never being able to wheel here. No matter the reason, everyone was at Paragon to have a good time in hopes of not losing another great wheeling spot.
This quickly turned into our...
This quickly turned into our favorite hang-out during the raffle. Jim Oostdyk served up free hot chocolate to everyone whose hands were not so frozen they couldn't hold a cup. The few minutes inside the tent and out of the wind was also a treat in itself.
This Aztec Gold TJ was out...
This Aztec Gold TJ was out braving the cold in support of PAP. Too bad there weren't a few real gold Jeeps there. Then maybe this great wheeling spot wouldn't be turning into an airport.
Stephanie Lister came out...
Stephanie Lister came out to show her support for PAP. She not only got engaged but also married her husband Jeff at the park. On her wedding day, Stephanie wheeled in her wedding dress-now that's love. There have been four couples married in the park, and another was scheduled for May 2007, but had to be canceled because of the closure.