Joyce and I would like to respond to the comments made by Larry Forster in the Aug. 4 in the Albert Lea Tribune concerning our beautiful Myre-Big Island State Park.

Sunday is a great day to go to the park, but most campers are packed up and out of the campground usually by noon, as check-out time is 4 p.m.

Because of state budget cuts, the interpretive center is indeed closed and appears abandoned, but in its heyday it was a very informative and educational experience for park visitors.

In this day and age, people do not go on picnics like they use to. Everything was closed on Sundays, which was a time for families. Now there are so many other things to keep people away from the park. Children have athletic events, people are shopping at the malls and the ever-present videogames, to mention a few.

As far as your question “Is this park used?”, in 2007 the park had 13,199 overnight visitors and 89,539 day-use visitors for a total of 102,738 visitors with a total revenue of $154,310 to the park. Visitor spending and tourism impact to the local economy added $2,612,155.

Our park has lots of features. It has a picnic area and picnic shelter, boat landing, 16 miles of hiking trails, eight miles of ski trails, seven miles of snowmobile trails, 1 1/2 miles winter hiking trails, five miles of mountain bike trails, 2 1/4 miles of asphalt state trail and a half-mile handicap accessible trail — not to mention canoe, kayak and rowboat rental is available. All this for the day-use user.

For the overnight user, we have two campgrounds with 93 semi-modern sites, one group camp and group center, four walk-in/canoe-in/bike-in remote sites, one camper cabin, three sanitation buildings, which include a very modem shower/bathroom facility at White Fox Campground.

The trails in our park take visitors around wetlands, oak savanna and grasslands. Albert Lea Lake and park marshes draw hundreds of waterfowl during migration. Oak savanna and prairie landscape including wetlands dominate most of the park. One of the most unique aspects of the park is the 116-acre Big Island with its maple and basswood forest. Another is the glacial esker located in the northeast section of the park.

So as you can see, there is something for everyone at Myre-Big Island. Insofar as your comment about city and county parks being free, they are not free. It is your tax dollars that provide the parks. Nothing in life is free.

Rick Culhane

volunteer camp host

Albert Lea