It seems that the corporate money makers and lawyers have struck again. Paragon Adventure Park near Hazleton, PA is closing. Their final weekend, February 3 & 4, 2007 marks the end of an off-road park known throughout the US.
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Paragon Adventure Park Closed – The Final Days
UPDATE:May 2007, The old park may be closed for good but a new location is now open. The new location is in Zion Grove, PA and is currenty open only to 4X4’s. Access is by reservation only.
NEW LOCATION OPEN – Paragon Zion Grove
See the Paragon Closing Links page to follow the story.
It seems that the corporate money makers and lawyers have struck again. Paragon Adventure Park near Hazleton, PA is closing. Their final weekend, February 3 & 4, 2007 marks the end of an off-road park known throughout the US. Paragon and it’s owners are being evicted from the property they were leasing from PCA Corp to make way for a cargo airport. According to an article in the Times Leader, a local newspaper, PCA Corp claims Paragon breached it’s 25 year lease. PCA Corp is intending on selling 4800 acres of the land currently used by Paragon to Gladstone Partners LP to build a cargo airport. In an article in the Standard Speaker it states that PCA approached Paragon and offered to buy the land but when Paragon declined they were told the lease was being terminated because of “breaches and violations,” according to court papers.
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Statement from Kyle & Stephanie Knosp, Paragon
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We attended the last Saturday at Paragon and it was an amazing day. There was believed to be over 300 vehicles in attendance. It was definitely the largest crowd we have ever seen there. Everybody seemed in good spirits and even though the temperature was a frigid 9 degrees it felt warm as everyone was just enjoying some final time at this near legendary park. There was music and several manufacturers on hand to share. OK Auto was giving out hot chocolate to try to warm everyone up. The staging area was nothing but 4X4’s and a sea of orange Paragon flags. There were a wide variety of 4X4 vehicles there that day. Jeeps, Toyotas, Hummers, rock buggies…brand preference didn’t seem to matter and there were rigs from stock to purpose built.
Sticky Lee was selling Save Paragon AP decals and money from the sale was going to the park. It seemed like every vehicle had one on it.
After the speech there was a raffle to help support the Save Paragon campaign. Many vendors and manufacturers were on hand and many donated equipment and gift certificates to benefit the park. It was reported that over $5000 worth of merchandise was donated. OK Auto, Quadratec, and Skyjacker were some of the vendors that donated equipment.
After the raffle was over everyone was ready to hit the trails, perhaps for the last time. Drivers and passengers piled into their vehicles to set out to try to make a lasting memory of this awesome off road park. On the next few pages we have put together a photo album capturing our experience of the last days and remembering the good times we have had over the years.
Thank you Paragon for providing us a LEGAL place to wheel our Jeeps. We expect you will continue this fight and if you do not win this one we look forward to a new Paragon somewhere else in the future. To quote a famous and perhaps over used movie line “If you build it they will come”
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Paragon Adventure Park Closed – The Final Days – Main Story
Photo Album – February 3, 2007
Photo Album – February 4, 2007
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