Big Lake State Recreation Areas could stay closed for the summer

A trio of popular state-owned lake recreation areas will shutter for the 2022 summer season unless state officials can find a contractor to manage them, state officials said this week.

Big Lake South, Big Lake North and Rocky Lake State Recreation Sites provide boat launch ramps, picnic areas and a total of about 100 campsites for tents and RVs. Popular for fishing, swimming and boating in the summer, the areas just outside Wasilla are regularly a top destination for seasonal outdoor recreation.

Like several other recreation sites, including the state’s Matanuska Glacier campground and cabin, the areas are typically operated by a contractor known as a concessionaire. But no qualified companies have thus far submitted applications, said Stuart Leidner, the state park superintendent for the MatSu Region. And without someone to manage the bathrooms, oversee campsite and boat ramp use and perform other seasonal upkeep tasks, the areas simply can’t be open for use, he said.

“The camping areas, the day use area — we simply don’t have the staffing to adequately manage it,” he said. “That would be a big blow for recreationists potentially.”

This isn’t the first time the state has had a hard time finding a contractor to operate a recreation area. In 2021 they were unable to find a contractor to run Matanuska Lake Recreation Area’s parking and campsites. Although they originally planned to leave the gate there locked for the summer, they did ultimately open the area, using state park staff to perform minimal management. With no contractor yet in place there for 2022, they’ll likely follow the same plan this year, he said.

But that’s not an option for the Big Lake-area sites, he said, simply because they are much farther away from state park maintenance facilities.

“That’s one that’s further away from any of our shops and it does create a logistical problem for us,” he said.

Information on the state’s recreation area contractor proposal request can be found on the State Park website.

If and when that contractor can be secured and the snow melts, those areas will be ready for users. Big Lake North, for example, has recently received some structural upgrades with several updated picnic pavilions and parking lot maintenance, he said.

Meanwhile, the park system is preparing for the season through a variety of other construction projects and upgrades, not unlike work done in most years, Leidner said.

For example, a revamped boat ramp will be poured at Finger Lake as soon as the ice melts, he said. At Kesugi Ken in Denali State Park an interpretive sign project is slated for completion. And in the Hatcher Pass Recreation Area, several tent pads and one composting pit toilet were installed at Reed Lakes late in the season last year. A second toilet is now waiting for installation there once snow melt allows access.

But perhaps the most noticeable change will be for those who regularly purchase day parking passes. Rather than pay parking fees with cash or a check placed in the metal box known as an iron ranger, more locations will instead have electronic kiosks, he said. About six new sites are slated to receive the machines, including Willow, he said. Those kiosks allow state park employees to avoid collecting cash from the boxes. And because they don’t hold cash, they are not a target for thieves, he said.

Those electronic kiosks will be installed in time for the summer season. Parking at state recreation areas is $5 to $10, depending on the area. Boat ramp fees run from $10 to $25. Annual parking passes are $60. Annual boat ramp passes are $150. Camping fees vary by location. A free state parks camping pass is available for disabled veterans who are Alaska residents. Camping passes are not sold.