Metroparks Toledo and a local family-owned business plan to acquire land and a campground to preserve natural areas and improve recreational opportunities near Oak Openings Preserve.
Metroparks was awarded an $818,944 grant from the Clean Ohio Fund to acquire and permanently protect 113 acres of land in the Oak Openings corridor, which has been a preservation priority for decades. The purchase will include more than 70 acres of high-quality habitat, some of it listed as globally imperiled.
The park system is teaming up with Superior Made RV Resort, which will acquire the campground portion of the property.
In the future, Metroparks plans a trail connection from the campground to Oak Openings Preserve and public access to property adjacent to the campground, including a lake for fishing and boating.
The campground, Big Sandy, on Berkey Southern Road/State Route 295 in Swanton, will open for the 2025 season as Superior Made RV Resort, said Alicia Lawson.
Her family plans to refurbish campsites and add a swimming pool, pickleball and volleyball courts, two new bathhouses and kayak access on the lake. These and additional enhancements will be made over several years beginning in 2026, she explained.
Superior Made will have 180 RV sites with 60 percent of the spaces for seasonal campers and 40 percent for transitional or nightly campers.
“In appreciation of current loyal guests, current seasonal campers will not experience a rent increase for the 2025 season, with small, incremental increases that are reasonable for the improvements over the next five years,” Lawson said.
The purchase is expected to be finalized by the end of this year.
“This is an opportunity for us to continue our important work of preserving natural areas in a corridor through the Oak Openings region while partnering with an experienced local family to carry on a tradition of camping in this beautiful area of Lucas County,” said Dave Zenk, Metroparks executive director. “After meeting the Lawson family, learning about their background and seeing their plans, I know we picked the right partner.”
Superior Made RV Resort will be owned and operated by Nathan and Alicia Lawson and other family members, longtime RV enthusiasts who built and operated Time Away RV Resort in Talladega, Alabama. They currently operate Superior Made Spaces, which provides multi-purpose offices and suites in downtown Toledo.
Nathan Lawson is the former owner of an interstate trucking business that has been in operation for more than 30 years. His wife, Alicia, has more than 20 years experience in pharmaceutical sales and marketing. Together, they also have more than two decades of experience managing residential and commercial properties with their family.
Serving veterans is of particular interest to the family. Father and son, Nathan and Terrance, are retired U.S. Army veterans, while daughter, Shirley is retired from the U.S. Navy.
