Countywide : Park to Be Closed During Renovation

O’Neill Regional Park will be shut down through Tuesday as a yearlong campsite renovation project enters its final stages.

Contractors will be laying blacktop and re-striping park roads as the county prepares the campground for its July 2 reopening.

The popular campground has been closed since July 15. However, hikers have used the 2,000-acre park’s many trails during the day.

Park officials have completely made over the campgrounds, cutting the number of spaces from about 200 to 93. New camp spaces were built near the old site with an eye toward protecting the wilderness.

The new parking areas will be located away from trees to protect their root systems.

“The whole focus is to protect resources throughout the park so it will be there for years to come,” said Tim Miller, county parks manager. “Cars parked right under the oak trees and sycamores, and there was a lot of foot traffic under them. It really compacted the ground around the trees, which threatened their health.”

The refurbished facilities will also include new bathrooms, picnic shelters and group picnic areas.

Rules for the campsites will remain the same. No more than 15 days of camping in a one-month period will be permitted. The cost will also be the same: $10 per night, $5 for senior citizens.

County officials say they have received many calls in the past few months from an eager public inquiring about the reopening of the park.

“The demand on the park has been great,” Miller said. “The calls have definitely been there.”