The Friends of Scott’s Gulf Wilderness State Park hosting an Appreciation Day Saturday to celebrate local supporters and elect a new board of directors.
Park Manager Stuart Carroll said the event serves as a way for visitors and park staff to share ideas while showing gratitude for the work the friends group has accomplished. Carroll said the day will feature activities including hayrides, a trivia contest and a night hike to observe lightning bugs and constellations at Dog Cove.
“The Friends help in a lot of different aspects and they’ve been helping for a number of years,” Carroll said. “So this is just a chance for people to get together and do a little bit of talking, sharing notes, and maybe even thinking about the future, laying a little vision for what we’d like to see.”
Carroll said the friends group provides essential support for the park through land acquisition and funding for various programs. Carroll said the organization recently provided money for snacks and supplies for a Junior Ranger camp and continues to assist with purchasing materials, like lumber for signage, or whatever else the park needs.
“We first off want people to just come out and enjoy the park,” Carroll said. “And then to understand what some of our goals and some of our visions are, that always helps. And then perhaps they want to donate volunteer labor or money or materials to help us achieve those visions.”
The event includes a business meeting where the membership will vote on a new slate of directors for the board. The public is invited to attend regardless of membership status, though an RSVP is requested to ensure enough food is prepared for the free cookout.
Carroll said the public outing offers a unique opportunity for community engagement.
“For the public to be involved in these kind of activities working side-by-side with park management, with park workers, maintenance, rangers, the manager, it helps the public to see what challenges we face and also you know how we can accomplish these different things,” Carroll said. “So, just you know walking in the shoes of the park folks is one thing.”
Carroll said the park has faced a steep learning curve as they transition online following the official dedication last May. Carroll said staff members are currently focused on fixing roads, opening trails, and updating maps and regulations across 14 kiosks scattered throughout the property as the park grows in size.
“We’ve got the day-to-day chore of running a park plus hoping to build a park on out, better trails, better parking lots, better maps and things of that nature,” Carroll said.
Looking toward the upcoming year, Carroll said the park plans to double its capacity for overnight visitors. Carroll said the number of back-country campsites will increase from 14 to 28 starting in January.