“The rain has kind of set us behind a little bit,” said Park Manager Dennis Miller. “Just paving the main road and the parking lots particularly in the main area, too.”

 

The almost-$1 mil paving project at Muskrat Beach began about two and a half months ago. 

 

“It takes awhile,” Miller said. “I mean, because they have to dig a lot of dirt up, put a new base in, pave and you need good conditions to pave in.”

 

The site is one of the more popular spots at the park. 

 

“It’s our main day use area, a lot of picnickers, lot of reunions down there, the swimming beach there. A lot of people come to play disc golf.”

 

With a road frequently traveled, it was about time they updated the pavement. 

 

“The park was built quite a few years ago back in the ’60s and ’70s,” Miller said. “I don’t know exactly when that road was paved, but the wear over the years it started to crumble and the parking lots were not in good shape. So we’re just trying to keep the facilities in good shape for the public’s use.”

 

The new road and parking lot is funded through the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. 

 

It will not be completely finished before the holiday weekend, but its tree pavilions, beach, and disc golf course are ready for families. 

 

“It’s very important ’cause we have people that have made reservations to use the pavilions for their family events and things,” Miller said. “So, yes, we worked hard to get it open this weekend and the contractor and the engineers have been very cooperative in getting that done.”

 

The area will close again after this weekend to finish the project, but that should only take a week.  Then it will be open for the rest of summer.