CEDAR FALLS -- Right now the high-end campground boasts nothing but clay, sand, a lake and 38-foot hole.

But in the coming year the Black Hawk County Conservation Board and city of Cedar Falls hope the 13-acre site will turn from literally, a hole in the ground, to a 55-site campground, complete with wireless Internet. The entire area spans more than 160 acres.

"The Cedar Falls Public Works are trying to put in sewer lines for all of North Cedar and had to dig a 38-foot hole to run the line. Hopefully in the next 30 days they will have the hole filled in," said Vern Fish, Black Hawk County Conservation director. "As soon as they are done filling the hole, we will start staking out the design."

The $1 million campground will include 55 full-service sites, each equipped with water, electricity and a sewer dump station. The grounds overlook Big Woods Lake and connect to the Big Woods Lake bike trail, which also ties into the metro's trail system. A bridge at the southwest corner of the lake completed a three-mile loop around the water.

The demand for such high-end sites has really grown in recent years as more baby boomers retire, Fish said.

"They are physically healthy, affluent and buying some nice rigs. The want to stay in a facility that caters to their needs," Fish said.

Fish said the project has received financial support at the local, state and federal level through several grant programs, including a $69,000 Community Attractions and Tourism grant and a $150,000 Resource Enhancement and Protection grant, both through the state.

Mike Hendrickson, the county's north unit ranger, said the new campground will be perfect when the area receives heavy rains.

"Most of our parks are right along the riverway. That is why they are parks, because no one else wanted them," Hendrickson said. "When we have conditions like we did last week, the Cedar Valley is shut down from camping. Hickory Hills is the only place open. This place is up in an area that is out of the flood plain."

A loop for primitive camping will also be available, though Fish is uncertain just how many tents the space can accommodate.

"It really depends on how friendly people want to get," he said. "We won't know until a really big camping weekend."

The city provided the land and is serving as a pass-through agency for funding for the road, said Mark Ripplinger, the city's park division manager. That part of the project won't be bid until next spring when the city does the rest of its street improvement projects. Once built, the city will assist the county with some garbage removal and mowing.

"After it's built, Black Hawk County will collect fees from campers and use that for operating expenses and maintenance," Ripplinger said. "The land will stay in the city's possession, but we have a 20-year agreement with Black Hawk County to operate the campground."

The park could be open as early as Labor Day weekend 2008. Hendrickson said if the entire campground isn't ready for use, they will open what they can for the busy weekend.

"This is definitely going to benefit Cedar Falls," Hendrickson said. "It will be different from everything else in Black Hawk County. I think it is going to be a premiere type camping area. You will have to go a ways to find anything like this."

Contact Emily Christensen at (319) 291-1570 or emily.christensen@wcfcourier.com.

{M3Go & Do

What: Big Woods Lake Campground ground breaking

When: Thursday, 5 p.m.

Where: 1501 East Lake St., North Cedar neighborhood