A public hearing will be held April 18 at Cacapon State Park to discuss three bids received in response to a request for proposal to develop RV campgrounds and recreational facilities at the park. (See proposals here)
Campsite Near Cacapon Upper Lake
The meeting will be held at 5 p.m. in the Washington Fairfax Room at the Cacapon Resort State Park Lodge, 818 Cacapon Lodge Road, Berkeley Springs, West Virginia.
“The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources welcomes community engagement for this development project and will work with local stakeholders to maintain Cacapon’s natural environment as currently enjoyed, while also developing campground and recreational opportunities in the park that will allow even more people to experience the beauty that is Cacapon Resort State Park,” said West Virginia Department of Commerce Secretary James Bailey.
One problem?
The proposal that will most effectively make Cacapon State Park into a profit center for the state is the Blue Water Development proposal. And that proposal will fundamentally alter “the beauty that is Cacapon Resort State Park.”
But then again, as former Cacapon State Park superintendent Tom Ambrose put it recently, “parks were never intended to be major profit centers.”
Our current state government, however, has decided to cash in on Cacapon’s proximity to the nine million people in the greater Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area.
Because of the public uproar over Blue Water’s proposal to put in their 350 RV spots behind the Nature Center and rip out the bike trails there, the company has apparently decided to move up the mountain.
Instead of destroying the Rock ‘n Roll bike trail, it appears as if Blue Water now is leaning toward putting their 350 RV campsite and recreational area near the upper lake. (See Blue Water proposal here.)
“When we began to create the plan for site 1 (behind the Nature Center), many factors were considered,” Blue Water writes in its bid. “This site comes with the task of having to relocate and upgrade 1500 feet of existing mountain bike trails. Constructing tunnels at two locations to allow for uninterrupted cycling/traffic flow. Possible wetlands mitigation.” Blue Water would then put in 240 RV sites.
Blue Water now speaks much more positively about site 3 — 350 RV spots above the upper lake, and a recreational area around the lake.
“Site 3 offers 350 sites, a welcome center, an amenity core featuring a pool, water slides, cornhole, pickleball courts and golf cart rentals. This concept provides no interruption of the mountain bike trails and allows us to take advantage of a well-positioned welcome center to our proposed amenity center.”
The plan at the amenity area at the upper lake includes adding a beach, fishing piers, water slides, an Aquabana, a kayak dock, a mountain bike training area, a lawn area with cabanas, and miniature golf around a parking location for local food truck vendors.