Monday, April 11, 2016

A to Z Challenge 2016: I is for Inmates




Sunset Bay State Park

Built in the 1950's, Sunset Bay State Park is very well maintained.  The park rangers are hard working and friendly.  There are 29 full-hookup sites, 34 electrical sites with water, and 66 tent sites with water nearby.  There are also 8 yurts.  This time of year only two of the four camping loops are open, and we have quite a few available for campers without reservations.  The yurts, however, seem to be full every night.  There are showers with hot water, and restrooms and campsites that are accessible for campers with disabilities.  There is also a large day-use facility next to the beach.  Last weekend the beach park was filled with families enjoying the sunny weather and the protected water in the cove.  

It takes a lot of work to keep this park clean and ready for public use.  There are four sets of camp hosts currently working.  I imagine that there are more volunteers in the summer months when the other camping loops are open.  Even with the rangers and the camp hosts pitching in to keep the park maintained, there's a lot of work to be done.  Last week we had an inmate work crew from Shutter Creek Correctional Institution.  The inmates cleared brush, mowed lawns, painted the woodshed and footbridge, and trimmed hedges.

It takes a village to maintain a state park...and here at Sunset Bay it takes retired volunteers, park rangers, and inmates!

6 comments:

  1. I think most of us don't realize how much work it takes to make our pleasant time out in "nature" possible.

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  2. This almost sounds like hard work!

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  3. I an only echo the above. Keeping the infrastructure maintained, and mowing grass on top of that!

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  4. I had not thought about how much maintenance is required for camp grounds. I imagine the inmates appreciated being outdoors.

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  5. Well, it probably was good for everybody to get some exercise out in nature. And I really had no idea that it takes so much work to keep it all going. I stayed in a yurt once, I remember it fondly. :-)

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  6. It does sound like a lot of work, but the working conditions look fantastic!

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