Camping at Illinois Beach State Park could resume April 1 as storm clean-up continues

Clearing debris has been a long haul in the seven months since twin storms slammed Adeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park along the Lake Michigan shore.

But a pending contract for tree removal and related services should finish the job and allow camping and other activities at one of the most visited state parks in Illinois to resume, possibly for the start of the camping season April 1.

The first storm June 30 was localized to shoreline communities and made a direct hit on the park, according to Superintendent Greg Behm.

“It probably toppled 1,000 trees,” he said.

The second storm July 11, which caused widespread and lengthy power outages throughout the Chicago area, added to the damage.

“It really was unprecedented and it happened in a week and a half,” said Chris McCloud, spokesman for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

The 241-space campground and picnic area and about five miles or more of trails in what is known as the South Unit, at Wadsworth and Sheridan Roads in Beach Park, have been closed since the storms.

The seasonal campground always is closed January through March. There are no guarantees but it could be open April 1.

“That’s certainly my goal,” Behm said.

The 90-plus room hotel/lodge reopened relatively soon after the storms but the pool area is still unusable, Behm said.

Trails and other amenities in the North Unit at 17th Street near Zion have been open since shortly after the storms.

Behm said work to remove downed trees and debris has continued since the storms with the assistance of crews from other state parks and jurisdictions, such as the Lake County Forest Preserve District.

“We’ve done about all we can do. The remaining work will be done by a contractor.”

Home Tree Service Inc. of Lockport was awarded the bid from IDNR for $206,865 to cut and remove trees, chip branches, remove debris piles, grind stumps, cut hanging limbs and broken tree tops and plant trees and shrubs in camping and other areas. Barring protests, the contract takes effect Feb. 9.

Behm said there still are damaged branches high on trees that could create a hazard and some trees are leaning as well.

McCloud said initial analysis pegged the cost to clear the damage at a “couple of million dollars,” but staff has whittled that number down as work has continued.

Park attendance averaged about 1.25 million from 2008-2010, the most recent figures available. The majority of visitors are to the South Unit, Behm said.

Attendance was down last year but not as much as one would think, according to Behm, as visitors drove through to view the damage.