Camping will open Friday at four non-electric loops and the tenting-only area at Locust Lake State Park in Barnesville.

And since electrical service was recently installed at two new shower houses, the park’s electric sites are expected to open in the near future, said Ron Gilliland, manager of Locust Lake and Tuscarora state parks.

“Certain sites will be open in the southern and northern campgrounds with the caveat that the shower houses have yet to be completed,” Gilliland said of the initial round of openings.

He said that those who booked their campsites were alerted that the new shower houses are not yet open. The 124 non-electric campsites on the southern side and the 65 tent-only sites on the northern side, however, have access to other shower houses.

Gilliland noted that PPL Electric Utilities installed electrical services to the new shower houses on Friday.

Contractors are now finishing their final punch list items.

The next step, he said, is for the Department of Labor & Industry to conduct inspections of each trade before occupancy permits can be issued.

Gilliland is hopeful that inspections will occur this week, and that permits are approved.

Once that happens, he said, the 71 electric sites on the southern side will open.

Gilliland noted that the opening of 14 new full hookup sites has been delayed since an electrical kiosk hasn’t been finished. Work is underway, he said.

Once completed, PPL engineers will inspect the installation and determine whether the existing primary lines are sufficient. If they are not, new primary lines will need to be installed.

It is hoped that the full hookup sites, which feature electric, water and sewage, will be available by Memorial Day.

The shower house projects began in late 2023. In 2025, camping wasn’t permitted until around Labor Day, when only the non-electric loops opened.

At nearby Tuscarora State Park, all camping cottages and yurts open Friday.