Zion Retreat Celebrates Independence Day and Dog Park Opening

Zion Retreat & RV Park will celebrate Independence Day with fireworks and a grand opening of its new dog park this week.
Zion Retreat will kick off its celebrations from 1-3 p.m. Thursday, July 3 at 334 E. High St. in Flushing. Visitors may enter 73999 Reservoir Hill Rd. for the back entrance of the retreat where the dog park will be opening.
Vendors will make their way to the park retreat for a day filled with food, dog rescues and more. Carpenter’s Pizzeria will be onsite as well as Clay’s Drive In serving ice cream.
Belmont County Hoof & Paw representatives are visiting the retreat to work alongside Zion as they open the new dog park. People who are interested in adopting a pet will be able to talk with the rescue group.
There will be two bounce houses to enjoy from 1 p.m. until dark. The rest of the park will be open to the public with kayaks, stand up paddle boards and row boats available for rent. People can also go fishing, swimming and zip lining.
Fireworks will be set off at the park at dark from the hillside behind Noah’s Landing, a playground area.
Director at Zion Retreat and RV Park Sonya Logan said staff have always wanted to open a dog park but had to get Zion Retreat board approval first.
Logan added she feels it’s something the guests at Zion and visitors will enjoy because many people stay at the RV park seasonally with only small area for pets. This new dog park will allow space for dogs to enjoy more territory to run and play.
One of the retreat employees has a dog named Hazel, who board president Jim Wagner has grown very fond of, she said, and she helped influence Wagner to open the dog park.
The new dog park is an open area that is divided into two sections: one for small dogs and one for large dogs. There are some structures that were built for the dogs inside the area including a tunnel to crawl through and a seesaw. Logan said the area is great for owners to play fetch with their dogs.
There are also a couple picnic tables along the sides of the park for owners to relax while their dogs are playing.
Logan said she would like people to come out and enjoy what Zion has to offer because a lot of people don’t know it’s there.
She added staff decided to celebrate Independence Day Thursday in case people make plans to see other fireworks over the weekend.
“That’s one thing that we’re hoping to get from it, the exposure and the experience in itself,” Logan said. “Zion’s mission is to provide a haven to honor and experience God and His creation, and to bring people closer to Christ. And in order for us to succeed in this, we need to get people here, and once they’re here, I think they will have the opportunity to experience that and more.”

Barnesville Area News Needs Your Support!
We're dedicated to providing coverage of the local happenings in Barnesville and the neighboring communities.
As a non-profit entity, we rely on the donations of readers like you.
Make a donation today and you'll be helping keep local news alive in the Barnesville area.