Q&A with Alicia Copenhaver, co-manager of Heritage Cove Resort
By George Berkheimer
Alicia Copenhaver and her husband Jason took over the Heritage Cove Resort in Saxton in 2022, managing the campground for the Axia Partners real estate investment firm of Utah. Their first few years of management brought a flurry of improvements to the 22-year-old campground. Following a renovation of Heritage Cove’s two-bedroom cabins, the addition of boat storage, a dog park, and a new restroom by the swimming pool, the Copenhavers set their sights on additional renovations and expanding the amenities available for guests. The campground offers eight two-bedroom rental cabins, three cottages and approximately 170 seasonal RV sites, along with 64 transient sites. A general store, on-site laundry room, firewood delivery, rental pavilion, dog park, a new children’s playground and Comcast Wi-Fi throughout the campground round out the amenities. Weekend bands, DJs and karaoke are also on offer. Onsite boat and RV storage options add convenience for guests, allowing them to avoid extra logistics, and onsite rentals include kayaks, canoes, and floats, as well as 10- or 12-person pontoon boats. Heritage Cove also offers a concierge package that eliminates the stress of launching and landing boats for their seasonal campers. Seasonal rentals run from Easter weekend through Halloween weekend.
Q: What additional changes have you made in your second wave of improvements?
Copenhaver: We added 25 new campsites, a new bathhouse, and we also offer year-round camping now.
Q: How have you addressed the entertainment that was missing when you took over?
A: We’ve been able to offer a wide range of special events. We have a Christmas in July celebration and we also added crafts, cookie decorating and cooking-related events. Those have all been popular with our guests. We now do a Memorial Day weekend BBQ event, along with 4th of July and Labor Day events and we have live music at each event. Our Memorial Day BBQ is huge. We invited the Kenton Sitch Band to perform, he’s a local from Saxton, and everybody loves the band’s performance.
Q: What do you enjoy about living and working in Bedford County?
Copenhaver: We enjoy the tranquility of this area. It is so peaceful and quiet. I enjoy the small town vibe and have met a lot of great and welcoming people since we moved to this area in 2022.
Q: How do you and your husband take advantage of the outdoor recreation that’s on offer in the county?
Copenhaver: We love boating and try to enjoy Raystown Lake any chance we get.
Q: Now that you’ve had a few years to make some improvements at Heritage Cove, what’s next on your list?
Copenhaver: My husband and I recently purchased the Friendly Tavern located in Saxton, and we will be closing the tavern for renovations with plans to reopen in early spring 2025.
Q: What changes will you be making there?
Copenhaver: We will be making this establishment a place that is comfortable and welcoming for both the locals and tourists, changing it from smoking to nonsmoking and adding an outside area for dining and drinks. We will have live music events and will be serving great food and drinks. We are also renaming it the Roundhouse Tavern because a railroad roundhouse used to be located across the street from the tavern. The roundhouse was used as a turnaround point for the Huntingdon and Broad Top Mountain Railroad. We’re not sure exactly what year it was established or closed, but it’s something we’d like to investigate and plan to display some of the town’s history inside the tavern. We are excited to get to know the people of Saxton and the surrounding areas.