5 More Weekends of Camping Season!
It's been an amazing season with a lot of new and returning customers. But we aren't done just yet. Leaves in the area are just starting to pop with their fall colors and it's a great time to come back for one more weekend of fun in Gilbert. We're open until October 31; many surrounding campgrounds have already closed or will be closed after October 6. Keep reading for more information on a range of topics below:
- Fall Colors Camping
- Campground Construction Update
- Affordable Winter Storage
- 2023 Camping Rates and Booking Information
- Final Words - A New Addition!
Keep scrolling to read all the details!
Fall Colors Camping
Come enjoy breathtaking scenery of the Iron Range during fall colors season! As of this morning, the Minnesota DNR shows Gilbert and surrounding areas at between 10-25% of peak. Recent near freezing temps overnight means that the full peak will be here soon. The best weekends to visit for fall colors riding will likely be October 7-9 and October 14-16. As of October 6, West Forty RV Park and Campground will be the only campground open on the eastern part of the Iron Range. We stay open until October 31*.
If you are planning on coming to Gilbert for fall colors rides, make your reservation today to save your spot!
*water to individual campsites will be turned off for the winter in mid-October depending on overnight temperatures. A potable water filling station is available at our office. Restrooms and showers are available in our heated office building until October 31.
Campground Construction Update
As you may have noticed, we've had some construction delays this year, but in recent weeks, we have seen a lot of progress. Here are the quick details (photos below):
- New restroom/shower building: we have walls and a roof! After firing our previous contractor, things have started moving quickly. Our walls and roof are up, doors and windows will be installed in the next few days, interior walls will be framed this week, electrical rough-in will happen soon and our wrap-around walkway/deck will be constructed. Our goal is to complete 90% of the building before we close for the season on October 31 so we can open it prior to Memorial Day 2023.
- New big-rig friendly D section: sewer and electrical risers have been installed for sites D1-D5 and D9-D10. We will be running water service to the sites as well as completing surface lot grading in October. Construction of sites D6-D8 are temporarily on hold until we can move our overflow parking area; until then, parking will remain on the hill in this section.
- Electric upgrade for A section: new electric pedestals have been installed for sites A1-A5 to bring 30-amp service to the section. As soon as the new pedestals are live, we will remove the existing 20-amp pedestals so they can be recycled for tent sites A6-A9 and A12-A13. This will mean all of our sites in the A section will come with power in 2023.
- New EV charging station: with the addition of our D section, we've had the opportunity to also install the first electric vehicle charging station in Gilbert! Located in the parking lot for our new restroom building, this charging station will use a standard NEMA 14-50 outlet which can also be used for customers who need to plug in a welder for Jeep repairs.
- New overflow parking area: the high price of diesel complicated and slowed the plans for moving our overflow parking area, but we have a new plan to bring this part of our expansion plan to completion by next season. Once we complete this portion of project, we will resume construction on the remaining sites in our D section.
Affordable Winter Storage
In mid-October each season, we begin converting the campground over to winter storage with 31 available sites to park campers/RVs. Our winter storage season is between November 1 until 5 p.m. on April 30 at some of the most affordable storage rates you'll find. At just $50 per month or $300 for six months plus tax we offer a great alternative to expensive storage rates you'll see advertised elsewhere.
All winter storage is booked over the phone after you complete our online form on our winter storage page. All winter storage terms are a minimum of 6 months and must be paid in full at the time of parking your RV.
Security Information: West Forty RV Park will lock our front gate on November 1 and will not unlock the gate on or about April 1. The campground is monitored by security cameras 24-hours a day, 365-days a year.
2023 Camping Rates and Booking Information
We've determined what our rates for weekday,weekend camping and seasonal/monthly camping will be for the 2023 season. You can find the list on our website. We are currently working with our reservations platform to update the rates in our system.
Earlier this month, we were advised by our current reservations platform, ASTRA Campground Manager, that we would be moving to a new system called Firefly Reservations. The new system promises to include some great customer-focused features including an improved website booking experience, more filters to help you search for the sites you prefer, improved pre-ordering of items like firewood, a guest portal which will allow you to change or cancel your reservation online rather than calling or emailing us, and a self-service kiosk that will let you check-in easier at times when our office isn't open.
With all these changes, we will be a bit delayed in our timeline for allowing 2023 reservations, but as soon as they are available, we will send out another email to let you know you can book for next season!
Some Final Words...Check Out Our Latest Addition!
We are thrilled to unveil our replacement golf cart which will help us deliver firewood, assist guests, and get around the campground next season. We were extremely lucky to find this replica Willys Jeep golf cart for a price we just couldn't pass up.
The Willys Jeeps were made famous for their well-known role in the US military and allied forces of WWII from 1941-1945. President Eisenhower once called it "one of three decisive weapons the U.S. had during WWII" to help it win.
We've always wanted a Jeep like this, but we have a few minor modifications to make before it sees campground service. Look for it on your next visit!
We will continue to look for fun ways to deliver great customer service so you can focus on enjoying your time in Gilbert. We're working hard to keep earning your business and we look forward to seeing you soon!
Paul & Ron Skrbec, owners
West Forty RV Park
west40rv@gmail.com
218-248-7362
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