Nebraskaland

00-March2022 singles for web-smaller

NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.

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58 Nebraskaland • March 2022 looking for safe entertainment at the height of pandemic restrictions. Significant financial indicators are Keith County's lodging tax and sales tax receipts. From May through September this year, each of the funds experienced a five-year high. Deb Schilz, until recently mayor of nearby Ogallala, has been supportive of the changes and is looking forward to working with Game and Parks to build on the success and make the parks even more attractive to families. "I was pleasantly surprised of how few issues there were with the process," she said. "Most of our lake businesses commented they were on track from 2019 (didn't count 2020 due to COVID) with their sales higher than 2019. Many business owners received comments on how our visitors enjoyed their experience with knowing where they would be camping and being able to have room for their campers, tents and other belongings." Improved Tracking Because visitors are required to reserve campsites through Game and Parks, the agency now has the best demographic data that it has ever had to understand who visits the two parks. While most of the campers are from the Denver area, the park received overnight visitation from all 50 states and beyond. Having such data is beneficial to Game and Parks, businesses, and others who market nearby attractions. Even though many campers feared they would not be able to make last- minute plans to stay at the parks, officials say that was not necessarily the case. The parks' electrical sites were booked weeks in advance, but aside from the season's three busy holiday weekends, campsites without hook-ups, including beach sites, still were available every Friday. Those sites usually did fill by the end of the day Friday. The park also experienced an increased number of campers during weekdays. Park staff say spreading its visitation over more days is preferable. Expanded Camping Given the successes, to accommodate more campers, Game and Parks has contracted with eight concessionaires to manage additional campsites around the lake. The goal is to continue growing those offerings at a sustainable pace, supporting economic development and meeting consumer demand. Future of Investment Part of the successes have included major investments by Game and Parks over the past five years. About $14 million in improvements have been made in campground, boating access and road improvements — all in line with goals set out in the Lake McConaughy master plan launched in 2016. Bicyclists ride past a pair of campers on the shoreline in the No Name Bay area at Lake McConaughy State Recreation Area in Keith County. ERIC FOWLER, NEBRASKALAND

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