Woodland Trails Resort on Strawberry Lake will close permanently after the 2026 camping season, according to an email sent to seasonal campers and lot renters one day after the property shut down for the offseason.
The resort closed for the season on September 20, requiring campers to leave the property while allowing trailers, decks, sheds, boat lifts, and other personal property to remain on-site until spring, according to campers. The following day, September 21, owner Dawn Sullivan notified approximately 70 camper owners and lot renters that the resort would not reopen.
“After 26 years in the business, we are retiring and closing the resort permanently,” Sullivan wrote in the message to campers.
“Due to rapidly escalating lakefront values on Strawberry Lake, it is not feasible to sell our resort as a business. Future plans for the property are very much up in the air, but they will not include a campground as it currently exists.”
According to Valley News Live, Sullivan said the decision followed 26 years of operation and was connected in part to increasing property values around Strawberry Lake. The announcement means the property will no longer operate as a campground in its current form, although the resort’s future use has not been determined.
The timing of the announcement has created logistical challenges for seasonal customers who had expected to leave their property at the resort through the winter. Rather than having until spring to retrieve larger items, campers were given a new deadline of the end of October.
Sullivan’s email stated that the resort’s current business insurance expires at the end of October and that “all personal property must be removed by that date.” The owners are also exploring an interim insurance policy that could permit some property to remain on-site during the winter for a fee.
“If secured, this option would require a storage fee for any property remaining on-site,” the email said.
For seasonal campground operators, the situation illustrates the operational considerations that can accompany a permanent closure, particularly when a property has long-term seasonal customers and substantial personal property stored on-site.
Advance communication, property-removal timelines, insurance requirements, and potential storage arrangements can become important considerations when transitioning away from seasonal operations.
The closure also demonstrates how changing land values can affect the long-term viability of campground properties. Sullivan said rapidly increasing lakefront values made it impractical to sell the property as an operating campground.
While no specific redevelopment plans have been announced, the resort said future plans for the property would not include the campground as it currently exists.
Valley News Live reported that it contacted Sullivan by email and phone and left voicemails seeking additional comment, but she had not responded at the time of reporting.
