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