The campground at Chapman Park is expanding!

Discussed and approved at the Monday, April 6 City Council meeting was the addition of eight new campsites along the west shoreline near Deer Park Road. The sites would extend from the corner of the campground road toward the white bridge leading to the island, stopping just short of that area to avoid interfering with public access. The new campsites would include electrical hookups, with power planned to be pulled from an existing meter near the campground entrance rather than the rodeo grounds system.

The project is expected to cost between $15,000 and $16,000 and would be funded through a combination of roughly $7,600 in tourism funds and additional money—estimated at $8,000 to $8,700—from the parks account of the Stanley Rodeo, which organizers indicated could be used for the project. It was emphasized that the expansion would generate revenue and help support other park operations.

The campground has seen strong demand, with many weekends fully booked and reservations filling quickly each spring, reinforcing the need for additional sites. If electrical costs come in within budget, the city hopes to complete the expansion by rodeo weekend, with gravel pads installed for the new sites during the initial phase of development.