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Parks & Recreation
Our Mission
It is the mission of the McLean County Department of Parks and Recreation to ensure adequate provision for high quality of regional parks and related outdoor recreational activities for all citizens of McLean County in the most cost-efficient manner.
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1st Day of Camping Reservations for 2019
Camping Reservations for the COMLARA Park Campground will begin, via on-line registration, at 12:01 am on Saturday, April 6, 2019. The Park Visitor Center will still be open on April 6th at 8:00 am for in-person reservations. Phone-in and mail reservations will begin Monday, April 8th at 8:00 am.
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING BELOW FOR INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING RESERVATIONS AND CANCELLATION POLICY.
COMLARA PARK CAMPING RESERVATIONS
Reservations can be made starting the first Saturday in April for dates through October 20th. A non-refundable deposit of the first night's camping fee plus a separate $7.00 (in person) or $10 (phone-in/online) reservation fee per site is required. Reservations for an upcoming weekend cannot be made after noon on the Thursday prior to weekend. When making a reservation, your deposit must be charged to your Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover Card at that time. Reservations by mail should include name, address, phone number, and date of reservation, preferred site number, and a deposit in the form of a check or money order. Reservations can be made in-person at the COMLARA Park Visitor Center during operating hours. Online reservations can be made at www.sunrisereservations.com/COMLARA.
| COST | ELECTRIC (50 AMP) | ELECTRIC (30 AMP) | NON-ELECTRIC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Site Fee | $27 | $24 | $21 |
| Rsvn Fee (in-person) | $7 | $7 | $7 |
| TOTAL | $34 | $31 | $28 |
2019 Calendar of Events
| Dec.-Feb. | cross country ski trails open | available when conditions permit |
| April 6 | camping reservations accepted | in person and online reserve (phone-in accepted Mon. April 8) |
| April 6 | boat rental/bait shop opens | weekends only |
| April 27 | Arbor Day celebration | tree planting project |
| April 27 | GPS/geocaching class | preregistration required, in person, phone-in, or mail |
| May 4 | Mackinaw River canoe trip | preregistration required, in person, phone-in, or mail |
| May 25 | swimming beach opens | 7 days/week |
| May 25 | boat rental opens | 7 days/week |
| June 1 | Tri Shark Triathlon | swim, bike, & run (www.tri-shark.org) |
| June & July | archery deer hunting | applications available |
| June 8 | Beach Blowout/Wacky Water Olympics | |
| June 15 | paddling at the park - intro to kayaking | preregistration required, in person, phone-in, or mail |
| June 22 | Central IL Open Water Swim (CIOWS) | |
| July & Aug. | firearm deer hunting | applications available |
| July 6 | COMLARA Park Ice Cream Social | ice cream, soft drinks, children’s games, & more |
| July 13 | Fisherman’s Trail 5 Mile Run | |
| July 18-21 | Evergreen Lake Knap-in | arrowhead and spear point crafting demonstration & additional vendors |
| July 20 | Take a Kid Fishing Tourney | at Evergreen Lake, preregistration required, in person, phone-in, or mail |
| July 31 | archery deer hunting | application deadline |
| Aug. 3 | Evergreen Lake 5K Run | COMLARA |
| Aug. 5 | swimming beach closed weekdays | |
| Aug. 24 | Painful Elimination Run | Shady Hallow Runners |
| Aug. 31 | firearm deer hunting | application deadline |
| Sep. 2 | last day swimming beach is open | |
| Sep. 2 | boat rental closed weekdays | |
| Sep. 14 | Shady Hallow Runners 3.7 & 7 Mile Trail Race | COMLARA Park/Evergreen Lake |
| Oct. 1-Nov. 11 | Deer Management Program - Archery | COMLARA Park - designated areas closed |
| Oct. 13 | boat rental closed for the season | |
| Oct. 13 | last day bait shop is open | |
| Oct. 19 | Fall Colors Family Day | marshmallow & wiener roast, hayrack rides, music, children’s games, haunted hayrack rides, children’s candy hunt, & more! |
| Oct. 20 | last day for camping reservations | |
| Nov. 22-24 | Deer Management Program - Shotgun | COMLARA Park - designated areas closed |
| Dec. 5-8 | COMLARA Park closed to general use |
2019 Evergreen Lake Watercraft Decals
The 2019 Evergreen Lake Watercraft Decals are in! You can purchase one several different ways.
- In-Person during Park Visitor Center Hours.
- By calling the Park Visitor Center at (309)434-6770.
- By using a Self-Registration Form located at one of the dropboxes. Dropboxes are located at each Boat Launch. Fill out the form, put correct fee in envelope, tear off top copy (This acts as your temporary permit if getting an annual decal), and drop envelope in dropbox. We will mail your decal to you via the USPS.
- ON-LINE. You can also purchase your sticker on-line by clicking on the Events/Activities Registration icon on the left. Park personnel will process your registration and mail your decal to you via USPS. Registrants should print out a confirmation to act as a temporary permit until you receive your decal in the mail.
Regional Parks
The 2,250 acres of regional parks currently provided by the McLean County Department of Parks and Recreation include COMLARA County Park/Evergreen Lake and S.H. West County Park.
COMLARA County Park includes the following locations:
- Deer Island Area
- Lake View Area
- Main Recreation Area
- Mallards Bay Conservation Area
- Six Mile Creek Area
- Southeast Conservation Area
- Southwest Conservation Area
- White Oak Area
Planning for the Future
Future McLean County regional recreation facilities being constructed include the Historic Route 66 Regional Trail and Greenway. The 32-mile Historic Route 66 Trail will link many rural communities and regional natural resources such as the ParkLands Foundation Lexington Preserve along the Mackinaw River and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Funks Grove Nature Preserve to the metropolitan area of Bloomington / Normal, Illinois. This trail provides interpretive opportunities along the Historic Route 66 corridor for central Illinois visitors. Sections of the trail linking Bloomington, Shirley and Funk's Grove to the south and Towanda to the north are complete. Additionally, Lexington and Chenoa have sections completed within those Communities, providing bicycle and pedestrian opportunities.
Adopt-A-Tree Program
Would you like to Adopt-A-Tree at COMLARA Park?
In the last couple of years, the park staff has had to cut down several Ash Trees that were destroyed by the Emerald Ash Borer, specifically in the Campground and Main Recreation Area (MRA). For a donation of $100.00, the Park’s Dept. will purchase a 5-6 ft. tree and have a small plaque made with it to say you donated it and/or in memory of someone who was special to you. For a donation of $200, the Park’s Dept. will purchase an 8-12 ft. tree and have a larger, more decorative plaque made with it to say you donated it and/or in memory of someone who was special to you.
CONTACT MIKE AT (309) 242-5806 OR TALK TO A STAFF MEMBER AT THE PARK VISITOR CENTER. THANK YOU!
PLEASE HELP US! Fence Posts & Fencing Donations Needed For Tree Seedling Project
Now we are looking to Phase 4 & 5 of our large tree-planting project. If any of you would like to donate/get rid of any FENCE POSTS and/or FENCING, please let us know. Just about any kind of posts will do and fencing can be anything from chicken wire to chain link, and condition does not matter. We will use these after transplanting the tree seedlings to keep the tree cages upright and the critters from munching on them. We can pick up or you can drop off at the COMLARA County Park Visitor Center. You can call the Park Director at (309) 242-5806 or the Park Visitor Center at (309) 434-6770. We cannot thank you all enough.