This month’s Lake Andes business spotlight is North Point Recreation Area. North Point Recreation Area is run by District Supervisor, Kris Monroe. Kris has been the District Supervisor for three years. Monroe became interested in this career because as a child she spent a lot of time camping, hunting, fishing and hiking. She loved being outside. When it came time to a pick a career, Kris knew that she wanted to do something that helped the next generation build some of the same memories that she had growing up. When asked what she enjoys the most about working in the Pickstown/Lake Andes area, Kris said the people. There are always smiling faces. Living in such a beautiful area is definitely a perk of the job as well. The sunsets are the best! As the District Supervisor, Kris really enjoys the people that she works with and the visitors that she gets to meet and interact with. She loves being able to see the kids laughing and playing in the park with their families.

It brings about her own amazing childhood memories.

North Point Recreation Area offers many services including archery range, archery trails, biking trails, boat ramps, campgrounds, camping cabins, dump station, electrical campsites, fish cleaning stations, flush toilets, group picnic shelters, paved trails, picnic tables, playgrounds, self-serve entrance kiosks, shooting range, shore fishing access, showers, swim beaches, vault toilets (open year round), habitat reconstruction and preservation, special event coordination and educational programming (in the park during the summer, and in schools during the off season).

North Point has been in operation since the state leased the land from the Corps of Engineers in 2001. They have a staff of five fulltime, year-round staff, and they hire 22 seasonal staff members. North Point provides a clean and safe space for visitors to come and enjoy the outdoors and beauty that the area has to offer. North Point’s visitors have an economic impact on the surrounding areas which is good for the Lake Andes community.

Duties of North Point’s staff include mowing, trimming, vehicle maintenance and repair, equipment maintenance and repair, facility maintenance and repair, plumbing, carpentry, electrical, welding, moving and repairing docks, large and small scale project planning, park entry license sales, visitor check in, cleaning the shower houses, cleaning cabins for new arrivals, picking up litter, enforcing park rules and responding to visitor needs among many other jobs and duties that arise throughout their work days.

In addition to stimulating the local economy, North Point also tries to support local events and charities with donations and staff when possible. Something that people may not realize that North Point does is the educational programming both in the park and in schools. The staff host field trips and will assist with Boy Scout and Girl Scout badges. They will also work with those looking to earn their Eagle Scout or Gold Awards.

North Point’s next upcoming event will be the Memorial Day Bike Parade that is held at their campground. The park is open year-round. North Point’s hours of operation are day use areas close and quite hours begin at 11 p.m.