A new place to take in the peaceful sights and sounds of nature is coming to Columbiana County. The Ohio Valley YMCA is taking over an old summer camp site near Beaver Creek in East Liverpool to make it a community space. 

“There isn't anything like what we have planned in the area,” Sierra Estell, the Executive Director of the Ohio Valley YMCA said. 

Most of the 100 acre site will stay in as a space for nature and animals to live freely, but the organization will add more hiking trails, a zip line, a place to launch kayaks and canoes and more. 

“We do have a lot of chronic disease in the area including mental health issues and having access to outdoor recreation can really improve both your physical and mental health,” Estell said. 

The property used to be where all the Presbyterian churches held their summer camps but it was donated to the YMCA back in 2023. The old Beaver Creek Church Camp left behind some things the new space will keep like the outdoor pool, fire pit and dining hall.

Majority of the upgrades will be tearing down some of the unsalvageable cabins and closing off the nine coal mines that haven't been used in more than 50 years. 

A $2.6 million dollar grant for the project was provided by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Mineral Resources Management (MRM) and funded by the Abandoned Mine Lands Economic Revitalization (AMLER) program. That grant will only cover half of the renovations. The rest will come from other grants, community donations and a capital campaign. 

The upgrades are expected to be finished in three years.

When it's finished, Estell said they will be able to host weddings, birthday parties, educational classes, meetings and much more. Community members will need a YMCA membership or a day pass to use the amenities.