Ready to Launch

SUSITNA LANDING — For years, the Susitna Landing boat launch and camping area has existed in something close to anonymity by Alaska’s busy summertime standards. Until a decade ago, the sleepy area at the end of a mile-long dirt road off Mile 82.4 of the Parks Highway was better known as a little-used launch for locals and guides — not to mention a clandestine party spot for weekend revelers.

But thanks to $2 million in renovations completed in July, the state-owned, privately-operated facility won’t be a secret much longer.

Ron and Marilyn Wilson have operated the launch as contract concessionaires for the State of Alaska. On Monday, Ron Wilson said he believes the improvements will turn the facility into a mid-valley hot spot.

“We expect the business to really pick up,” Wilson said while sitting in the campground’s on-site store/office.

Improvements are substantial. Work began in April to increase the total number of camp sites from 30 to 71, as well as add 14 electrical hook-ups, shower facilities and a reinforced bank at the 60-acre facility. The campground area now includes three loops, including double spaces for large groups. It’s also landscaped and equipped with facilities for toilets.

While showing off the new grounds, Ron Wilson said he couldn’t be happier with the area’s improved look.

“This is what we’ve wanted all along,” he said.

The Wilsons are responsible for maintenance and security at the landing, where they live year-round with their black German Shepherd, Gus. The couple took over operations at the launch 14 years ago. At that time, Ron said the launch mainly got use from guides and local anglers, and was typically only used for camping by partyers.

“We could no longer tolerate the garbage that was going on,” he said.

The Wilsons work closely with the Alaska State Troopers, and Ron said law enforcement now makes regular patrol stops at the landing. The couple wanted to attract more families and outdoors enthusiasts, rather than partyers.

The recent improvements were paid for with a Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Program grant secured by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. On Monday, Fish and Game biologist Richard Price said the work was the result of coordination between a number of government and private players.

“It took about two years to put it all together,” he said.

Price said several private contractors, along with the Department of Natural Resources, all worked to make the improvements, which also included adding a new septic system.

Work went on throughout the summer, which the Wilsons said impacted business this year, with bulldozers, back hoes and dump trucks constantly rolling into the area.

“They brought in lots of rock,” Ron Wilson said, surveying the stout new bank. “And after they got bringing in lots, you know what? They brought lots more.”

The Wilsons believe the campground will become a big draw for weekend and holiday crowds — once word filters out that the landing is a lot more than just a boat launch.

“Nobody knows we’ve got such a nice place here yet,” Marilyn Wilson said.

In addition to providing access to the entire Susitna River system, the landing — which the Wilsons keep open year-round — is also utilized in the winter by snowmachiners who take advantage of an extensive system of groomed trails that stretch as far as Denali National Park.

Beaming at the spiffy new landing area, Ron Wilson said the facility is now “one of the best in the state,” and said he expects to see a big influx of campers and boaters next summer.

“This is a classy joint.”

Contact Matt Tunseth at 352-2265 or matt.tunseth@

frontiersman.com