To accomodate wrestlers traveling a long distance and to permit more wrestling time, wrestlers are invited to arrive as early as Wednesday. July 23, 2008. The basic registration fee as noted below covers Friday evening through Sunday, as in past years. For those arriving on Wednesday or Thursday there will be a small additional camping ($10/night) and meal (about $9-19/day prorated; see below for details) fee, and all those arriving early must confirm this with Bob and order the extra meals on or before Friday, July 11, 2008. In past years 50-60 wrestlers arrived by Wednesday evening and about 80 by Thursday, while the rest arrived Friday evening or night, and there was wrestling through Saturday night (sometimes a few matches on Sunday as well before the mats are rolled up).

Hillside is a 235+ acre campground for men located in the Endless Mountains region of Pennsylvania, just off PA Route 848 in Gibson near I-81 at Exit 219 (prior to 2001 it was Exit 66). This is between Scranton, PA and Binghamton, NY.

For those traveling by air, the nearest airport is the Wilkes-Barre-Scranton International Airport served by U.S. Airways, Continental and COMAIR (Delta). Click here for the airport website with further information, directions, etc. Binghamton, NY also has a domestic airport which some wrestlers used in 2002; their website is www.binghamtonairport.com. There's also the Lehigh Valley international airport in Allentown, PA whose website is www.lvia.org.

Other major airports within 3 hours travel time are Kennedy (JFK), LaGuardia, Newark and Philadelphia International Airports. Rental cars are available at all airports. Bus lines such as Greyhound and Short Line also serve Scranton and Binghamton. Rail travel is also possible, but the nearest Amtrak stop is 60 miles away, in Syracuse, NY, so this would require another means of getting to Hillside from there.

Wrestling will be on group campsite #60 on regulation mats. Wrestlers can camp in their own tent on site #60. For those without a tent, limited space is available to sleep on the main mats under the big tent after wrestling is concluded. You should bring your own air mattress, sleeping bag and pillow. Dogs and other pets are not allowed on site #60.

Wrestlers staying on site #60 will also receive the catered meal package Friday evening through Sunday Brunch ending at 1PM. Wrestlers who arrive early will be charged extra for meals through Friday lunch (see details below). Other private campsites, RV and cabin rentals are available to those wrestlers who prefer to camp in private and do their own cooking. If you camp on a private site, you may still elect to participate in the catered meal package if space is available.

The total cost of camping on site #60 for the weekend is $175.00 which includes the camp fee, membership fee, meal package (Friday evening through Sunday Brunch), healthy snacks, keg of beer and birch beer, use of the big tent, mats, first aid supplies and a wrestling t-shirt. For early arrivals, the camp will charge an extra $10 per night for Wednesday and Thursday upon your arrival at the camp office. The extra cost (per day) for meals is as follows: $4 for each breakfast and $5 for each lunch (Wednesday through Friday); $10 for each dinner (Wednesday and Thursday). There is no extra charge if your arrival is on or after Friday evening. This information will also be included on the registration form. Extra meals may be paid for with your registration or upon your arrival at camp. Again, please confirm early arrival with Bob on or before Friday, July 11, 2008, and specify the first early meal you will eat at site #60.

Based on last year's experience, it is strongly recommended that all wrestlers camp on site #60, the group campsite. The wrestling group camaraderie and interaction is great. Wrestlers from all over the USA, Canada and Europe will be there. (Though there are some delis and motels within 15 miles of the campsite, plus the new motel at the Gibson exit (Holiday Inn Express, 3 miles from camp), I don't recommend that, as you lose out on the unique experience of being at Hillside; the camaraderie and wrestling, the other campers, the special events, and so on. The food at camp is cooked specially for us wrestlers and is all-you-can-eat as well). Please note any special dietary (medical) needs on the registration form).

In addition to wrestling, activities available include swimming, volleyball, hiking, and evening campfire and disco. Cyclists and runners can get a great workout on the on- and off-site triple-chainring mountainous terrain. The climate is mountainous, usually with warm days and much cooler nights, sometimes with significant variations from mountain to mountain. The nights were very warm during the 2006 and 2007 wrestling weekends however. Every weekend at Hillside (late spring through early fall) has a special theme or event; in past years the Wrestling Weekend coincided with Illumination Weekend, Country-Western Weekend and other events.

For more information and to reserve a space on campsite #60 please contact Nick or Bob as soon as possible to receive a registration form (if you attended last year, you should get one in the mail). It is strongly recommended that you register as soon as possible, but no later than Monday, July 14, 2008. As this is a very popular weekend, you should register early while there's still space. Cancellations received by July 14, 2008 will receive a full refund.

No liquor or beer is sold at Hillside. BYOB. Wrestlers must be 21 years of age or older to enter camp. See you on the mats!

The author of this web page has been to Hillside Wrestling Weekends in 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. It just gets better every year. General pictures, from Wrestling Weekends, various other bicycle trips and more can be accessed from my Personal Home Page. More wrestling information (clubs, resources, pictures, etc.) can be found on my Wrestling Page. Any other cyclists who might want to coordinate travel plans between the Greater New York City/New Jersey/Eastern Pennsylvania area and Hillside are welcome to e-mail me.

Last perlscript update, September 28, 2008

Wanna Wrestle? Or any comments on this web page? Click here to e-mail me.

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Creation date:  September  3, 1998 
Last update:    September 28, 2008 
(ten years and counting!)