Camping winds down, but some sites open for winter

WAPPAPELLO — The camping season is winding down at Wappapello Lake, with a few campgrounds already shut down for the year and more closing in the coming days.

“The demand just isn’t there during the winter months, and the campgrounds are driven by demand,” said Park Ranger Rosie Lemons.

Some campgrounds, she said, also do not have frost-proof hydrants, so the water supply must be shut off in the colder months.

A family sets up at a Wappapello Lake project campground. Some spaces will remain open through the winter. DAR/Paul Davis

Three lower campgrounds at the People’s Creek Recreation Area, including sites 1-35, Lemons said, closed on Sept. 30. However, the People’s Creek Upper Campground, which has 19 full hook-up sites, remains open year-round.

“People’s Creek Upper pretty well accommodates the traffic we do have in winter,” Lemons said.

Both Redman Creek East and West campgrounds, Lemons said, closed for the winter Monday.

The Greenville Recreation Area campgrounds, featuring 107 full hook-up sites and three walk-in tent camping sites, will remain open through Nov. 26, Lemons said.

“We’ll keep Greenville open through deer season, though the traffic goes down quite a bit after the first weekend,” Lemons noted.

Across the project, Lemons said, a large number of primitive campsites will remain open and they typically draw a “big influx” of hunters during the deer season.

Two other Corps of Engineers campgrounds will remain open during the winter, including the Snow Creek Campground at Chaonia Landing and the six primitive sites on the islands between Rockwood Point and the state park.

Sites closed for the winter, Lemons said, will begin re-opening for the 2020 summer season in early spring.

Currently, the Greenville and Redman Creek East campgrounds are slated to reopen March 20, while Redman Creek West will open March 27. The People’s Creek Lower campgrounds will be the last modernized areas to open and will do so on April 10.

While most of the campgrounds will be closed during the winter, Lemons said, other Corps amenities will remain open.

“A lot of our day-use areas stay open year-round,” Lemons said. “People want to come out and utilize them on warm winter days.”

Questions about the lake’s campgrounds and other facilities can be referred to staff at the project office, 573-222-8562.