Council wants feedback on whether campground is a good idea for Lake Greenfield

Imagine the raw, beautiful scenery of natural prairie grasses, wildlife and a lake with miles of adjacent walking trails right outside your camper or tent. That’s a seed that has been planted in the minds of Greenfield City Council that they will soon need to decide on.

The council was given an idea of building a campground somewhere at Lake Greenfield at a recent meeting by City Clerk Laura Wolfe. Lake Greenfield is the newer and northernmost of the city’s two lakes south of town.

Three valid requests for proposals (RFPs) were obtained and are to be considered by the council. These are firms who would be interested in taking on the design and engineering aspects of building a campground.

The council tabled the matter from their Sept. 12 meeting to think about the options. They also want community input for whether or not an additional campground is a want the community has.

Wolfe’s initial thought was having a campground somewhere on the eastern part of the lake, by a bunch of maple trees along Lakeshore Drive.

Public Works Director Brian Hoadley then showed her what he thinks is an even better spot on the west side of the lake. It is in an elevated spot south of a parking lot located south of the existing town water plant, off SW Mills Extension.\

A campground at Lake Greenfield would have a significantly different view than an existing one on the east side of Nodaway Lake because the site currently being discussed has good sight lines to Lake Greenfield.

“There’s already a road that comes up through there,” Wolfe said. “There are trails from Lake Greenfield to Nodaway Lake and there are two ponds along the way. I don’t know if everyone realizes you can do that. It is gorgeous.”

Wolfe said there are prairie grasses in that area and she considers a campground as an “untapped recreational asset” for the community. The lake, built in 1978, was supposed to have camping available, but it never happened.

Wolfe has noticed an uptick in those wanting to camp since the pandemic.

“I don’t go camping, but I go fishing. Wherever I go fishing there are campers galore,” Wolfe said.

Wolfe speculated that you could have information kiosks along the trails between the two lakes that people could use to find their way through the trails. While playgrounds aren’t immediately nearby, both lakes have them. A fundraising drive is in place to replace the existing playground at the old lake.

RFPs given to the council reflect the entirety of engineering cost could range from $29,000 and $60,000. It is suspected that grants could be available for the project, though the process for obtaining those takes time. The city does not have funds available to embark on building a campground right now, Wolfe said.

Wolfe said that while upkeep may prevent the campground from paying for itself, a new campground at least carries the potential of being a significant revenue source for the city.

“Back when they built the lake there was supposed to be camping. I would think they would still say that’s a good idea and not be offended by having camping out there. You don’t want to take away from the beauty of the lake as it is, and I don’t think you would. If the community is against camping it’s not something the city would want to pursue. If they think yeah, it’s a great idea, it’s something we should do.”

Caleb Nelson

Caleb Nelson

Caleb Nelson has served as News Editor of the Adair County Free Press and Fontanelle Observer since Oct. 2017. He and his wife Kilee live in Greenfield. In Greenfield and the greater Adair County area, he values the opportunity to tell peoples' stories, enjoys playing guitar, following all levels of sports, and being a part of his local church.