Arnold, Nebraska welcomes RVers

July 2, 12:21 PMRV Travel ExaminerKeith Bennett

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Arnold, Nebraska is 41 miles northeast of North Platte and they have an interesting slant on dealing with state budget cuts and attracting campers. In today’s North Platte Telegraph, Diane Wetzel wrote about what Arnold is doing to save their park.

When budget cuts for the Nebraska State Park system meant some state recreation areas would be downgraded to minimum maintenance status, this small community in Custer County stepped up and leased the recreation area located just south of town on Highway 40.

Minimum maintenance means the state would mow the area only in the spring and fall, with no garbage pick up or maintenance of equipment. The village had been assisting the state in maintenance of the park for the past several years, said village superintendent Scott Winfield. "We did some mowing and grading of the road into the park," Winfield said.

Keeping the park maintained is a winning situation for the community, Winfield added.
"We had 179 campers here last year," he said. "Those campers come into our community and spend money. We can't afford to lose even one of them." If those campers return to find the park in a state of disrepair, they won't return, Winfield said.

Nebraska Game and Park signs have been removed from the park, and visitors no longer need a parks permit to enter. "We keep   Our rates low," Winfield said. "It's $10 a night for electricity and water hook up, and $6 a night for primitive camping." Efforts to keep the area cleanup were given a boost by a donation of a Bobcat by Murphy Tractor & Equipment Supply in North Platte. Murphy employee Neil Coleman, who lives in Arnold, arranged the use of the machinery, Winfield said.

Volunteers help out in maintaining the area, Winfield said. "Now that people don't need a park sticker to come out here, they are out here all the time," he said. "They come through and pick up trash and debris." Since ownership of the park must come through the state legislature, the village has leased the property for one year, Winfield said. "They will put the deal into the next session and hand the area over to us next year," Winfield said. "Our biggest goal is to have people come and enjoy the park and our community."
 

With the recent news about towns wanting to ban overnight stays at commercial businesses, like Wal-Mart, we found Scott Winfield’s comments very refreshing. Of particular note is his comment: "We had 179 campers here last year," he said. "Those campers come into our community and spend money. We can't afford to lose even one of them."

We spoke with Scott this morning and learned about some of his plans upon taking over ownership of the park. Given that this part of the country has some excellent bird hunting we think they are apt to see many more than 179 visitors once the word gets out.  Scott gave us a preview at some plans that take the current island and turns it into a bridged area for picnics.

If you are traveling I-80 and need a place to stop, think about a short detour and spend the night in Arnold, Nebraska. Their park has RV spots with water, electricity and showers are on the drawing board. Cost per night is $10.00! That’s with the water and electricity.

What a treat to be able to stop in a place loaded with Midwestern hospitality and be around folks that appreciate your business and will go out of their way to show it. In today’s complex world it is nice to see people walking the talk and we salute Arnold, Nebraska for their efforts. We will be making a trip to Arnold to learn a bit more about this project and shooting some video and pictures of their home.

Happy 4th of July to all.
 

Happy Camping

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