IMPROVEMENTS ON THE WAY

Campground improvements could include larger, level pads, more space per site and more sites with full hookups

IIt was just a few months ago when Alabamians voted to approve the Alabama State Parks amendment, and since then, Lake Martin’s beloved Wind Creek State Park has already begun planning improvement projects. The changes will not only help the state park itself, but also are expected to greatly impact the surrounding communities for the better and bring in more tourists to enjoy the beauty that is Lake Martin. Sandra Fuller, director of Tallapoosa County

Tourism, believes the positive impact this amendment will ensue will be unmatched to what the county has seen before.

“I think, for the visitor, it’ll be a huge effect because I know that there are plans in the works to grow the lodging piece for Wind Creek State Park and also to update the RV park to offer more amenities, so I know that that’s just a huge attraction,” Fuller said. “They do an incredible job of attraction, which has been going on for two or three years. People just realize that Lake Martin is here, and we have one of the largest campgrounds and RV parks in the state of Alabama, so they’ve been doing an incredible job with that. It’s gotten bigger. It’s no longer just seasonal.”

Fuller believes the renovations made possible by

STORY BY BREANNA MANLEY PHOTOS BY KENNETH BOONE & BETSY ILER

the passing of the amendment will only add to the park’s attraction and benefit the area tremendously. She also noted what the park’s added amenities would do to the lodging taxes for the area, saying they will increase in response to the additional places to stay within the park.

“The lodging tax is based on the cost per unit, so if they’re building infrastructure that’s unlike RV parking, such as cabins, the cost nightly is going to be a little more increased than what you would see at an RV site, and

Some sections of the park may be temporarily closed during the work the lodging taxes will be larger. There will certainly be an increase in the lodging taxes, which again is going to go back into helping our economy,” Fuller explained.

Improvements will be focused on enhancing the stay of overnight guests that take part in park activities, like a bicycle parade on July 4th

Day use areas, like the beach, probably will remain unchanged Activities like the Screamin' Eagle aerial tour add value to campers' experiences at the park

She also believes the impact will be positive on the community because of the space the surrounding area could soon provide for fishing tournaments and other special events. With an increase in places to stay, Fuller believes visitors and tourists won’t have to drive out of town and find lodging farther away. They’ll be able to easily find places within the area, further improving the local economy.

Fuller isn’t the only one to see the positivity illuminating in the community because of the amendment. Greg Lein, director of the Alabama State Parks Division, also sees what it could do for the community. He and the rest of the park staff couldn’t be more grateful for the support the park has received from the community since the amendment was on the ballot.

“First of all, we very much appreciate the public’s approval of the bond amendment, and we recognize that our customers and Alabamians appreciate and love their state parks and want to see them prosper and be the best parks that they can be. It really means making a greater capital investment in each of those parks,” Lein said.

The intent at Wind Creek State Park, Lein said, is to renovate a section of the campground and to add new cottages, essentially adding more space for more visitors to stay when visiting the park. Expanding the overnight accommodations is one of the top priorities of the park, which the division would be unable to do without the support from residents. Another project the park is hoping to work towards is to upgrade the water system and the sewer system.

Lein believes each of these projects will come to fruition over the next three years.

“Wind Creek is a very large campground, and the vast majority of our patronage there is campers, and so I think that they will very much see and appreciate the improvement of as many of those campsites as we can handle in this effort, and I think that it’ll be very popular,” Lein said.

The park staff is unsure if a shutdown of the park will need to occur while renovations are going on. Lein mentioned there could be sections of the park that will need to close due to renovations, but he believes the entirety of the park won’t be shut down at once.

“Some of that may happen in the off season, and minimize that impact to the guests, but we have to complete the design work and get through the bidding cycle before we fully understand how that will work,” he explained.

Wind Creek State Park has been an attraction for residents and visitors alike over the years and with improvements on the horizon, the state and the local community are vested in its future as the perfect getaway.