Hydaway Outdoor Center is Expanding Lake to Five Times its Current Size

Hydaway Outdoor Center, a popular outdoor recreational location for students, is expanding its lake from six acres to 31 acres by fall 2022.  

The center, located on Candlers Mountain Rd., features a lake with a small beach, a water slide, a zipline and beach volleyball courts. 

“Part of our mission as an outdoor rec department is to provide diverse outdoor experiences for students and we hope the lake will help us to provide a larger venue for fishing, paddling and swimming at Hydaway,” said Michael Ellsworth of Campus Recreation. “With more space available to us, we should be able to get more students on the water and provide them a more unique experience.” 

Ellsworth explained that this project is made up of three phases. 

The first phase will reroute Camp Hydaway Road before the new dam can be constructed. In the second phase, the new dam will be built up. The third phase will involve decommissioning the existing dam, which will allow the new lake to naturally fill from the local streams and springs. 

According to Ellsworth, Campus Recreation wants to expand on regular interactions with the biology department as they monitor the diverse wildlife environments and organisms that surround the facility. 

“My hope is that the news of this expansion will remind students of the beautiful resource that Liberty has on the mountain,” Ellsworth said. “The current lake and trail system are beautiful and wild areas right in our own backyard.”

Hazard is a news reporter.