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On Sunday, the sign at the entrance to Detroit Lake State Recreation Area read: Campground full. Lines formed throughout the day at the Moutain High Grocery, the town’s only store.
The visible, extensive destruction from last year’s Labor Day fires did not stop crowds from flocking to enjoy Detroit Lake over Memorial Day weekend.
Shelley and Tim Pyatt booked their camping reservations at the state recreation site the morning it became available. Within a half-hour, Tim Pyatt said, most campsites were booked for the entire season.
After months of being cooped up during the pandemic, the family from Cornelius said they were just looking for safe ways to get outdoors. They purchased their first camper a few months ago.
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The Detroit area is taking another small step toward normalcy this month with the reopening of six campgrounds around the popular reservoir east of Salem that burned in last September s Labor Day fires.
The largest campground in the area, Detroit Lake State Park, reopened last month. The Forest Service has added to the overnight options by gradually reopening its collection of smaller sites around the lake and on the upper North Santiam River including:
Santiam Flats Campground, on the southeast side of Detroit Lake, open now
Cove Creek Campground, on the south side of Detroit Lake, open now