For 14 years, Lorraine Carlson and her husband, Daren, have owned and operated the Happy Hills Campground in Nelsonville, Ohio. But when they reopen for the 2019 season on Monday, April 15, they’ll have a new identity as the Hocking Hills Jellystone Park location.
“We felt like the timing was good to do this,” said Lorraine Carlson. “We have the right quality and the right amenities now.”
The Carlsons have always taken great pride in running a family-friendly campground, and they’ve spent the past couple of years making additional investments and improvements to their park.
“Last year, we added a gem mine and a gaga ball pit and water features, all in preparation for becoming a Jellystone Park location,” Carlson said.
This was in addition to renovating the park’s bathhouse, adding laundry facilities and expanding the camp store. This was after the Carlsons had spent the past decade improving and expanding their campground.
“This campground had 63 sites when we took over. Now, we’re up to 105,” Carlson said. “We started with one cabin, then we added three more, and we have plans to add more.”
The Carlsons also cleaned up their three-and-a-half-acre manmade lake and made it a focal point of the campground for swimming. Boats and kayaks are also provided for guest use.
The Hocking Hills Jellystone Park is the five Jellystone Park location in Ohio, with others being located in Big Prairie, Mt. Gilead, Nova and Uniontown.