Sprucing up | Observation Deck upgrades, renovated restrooms, more improvements underway at Ocean Lakes Family Campground

The slowest time at the campground is the busiest time for our maintenance team.

From small painting tasks to major overhaul projects, crews are working double-time during the slower winter months to ensure Ocean Lakes will be in tip-top shape by the time the big crowds return this spring.

Some projects – including replacing the wood on our iconic Observation Deck and installing concrete pads on a handful of campsites – already are underway. In January, contractors and teammates will start several more projects, including renovating the restrooms at the Meet n’ Eat.

Ocean Lakes is so busy from spring through fall that our team schedules most non-urgent maintenance projects during the slower winter months.

“It’s our only down time to make these repairs happen before Easter weekend,” Ocean Lakes Operations Manager Kevin McWhirter said.

Here’s a rundown of some of the improvements you’ll notice by spring:

 

Observation Deck | Our iconic Observation Deck is getting a little TLC. Crews are replacing the weathered wood, deckboards and railings to give it a fresh new look!

The oceanfront deck will be closed during the work, which could wrap up by the end of January.

Restrooms at the Meet n’ Eat | More modern restrooms are on the way! Contractors will be overhauling the restrooms by the Meet n’ Eat with new floors, modern fixtures and updated partitions.

The restrooms will be closed starting Jan. 2 while contractors do the work.

Concrete pads | Ocean Lakes adds concrete pads on a few campsites each winter. We’ve added eight concrete pads during this off season. Concrete pads are in high demand, especially during the summer.

Signs | New directional signs will greet guests at the main entrance and along the main roads inside the campground.

The signs will be updated to include our newest attractions such as Sandy Harbor Water Park, which opened in 2016, and our Nature Center, which moved to a new spot behind Sandy Mart in 2017.

The new signs also will be reflective to make them easier to see at night than our current signs.

“None of our old-school signs are reflective,” McWhirter said. “This will help with night traffic.”

Painting | The Recreation Center will get a fresh coat of paint. The Recreation Center will be closed Jan. 8 through Jan. 11 for the work; Family Ceramics will move to the Cafe in the Arcade that week.

The office at the Recreation Center will be open every day except Jan. 9, so guests will still be able to buy discounted tickets to area attractions, borrow a book from our library or check out a basketball or other recreation equipment.

Our team also is working behind the scenes on utility upgrades, repairs to our fleet of vehicles and other facility improvements.

“All the important stuff that people don’t even see,” McWhirter said.