One good thing happened when Crow Butte Park in southern Benton County closed to campers because of the Covid-19 crisis.

No one was camping in early June when a storm blew through. Lightning struck an irrigation pump and 14 large trees blew down in the campground.

Normally, all 52 campsites would have been occupied, as they typically are during the March 15 to Oct. 31 camping season.

Visitors were in the day-use area, but camp hosts shooed them out. The damaging storm caused no injuries, to the relief of the Port of Benton, which has managed the 275-acre property on the Columbia River since 2001.

Remote and wild, Crow Butte is routinely ranked as a favorite Northwest destination for RVers and campers. It has a swimming beach, boat dock, fishing, hiking trails and spacious camp sites with full RV hookups. It’s a getaway that lives up to its reputation.

RVs account for about two-thirds of overnight guests. Tent campers account for the remaining third.

The unwelcome closure had another benefit too, said Miles Thomas, director of economic development and government affairs for the port.

It gave workers added time to finish repairs to the antiquated irrigation and sewer systems and to tackle overgrown trees and shrubs. The combination contributed to Crow Butte’s tired and overgrown appearance.

The port spent $25,000 to repair the caretaker’s house and office, $50,000 to repair the collapsing sewer lines and $40,000 on the irrigation system.

Thomas suspects even more trees would have fallen in the June storm if workers hadn’t tackled the overgrowth.

When it reopens, visitors will find a grassier park and tamed trees.

The pandemic may have delivered benefits, but it’s an unwelcome visitor.

The port wants to reopen the campground, Thomas said. But it won’t do it until it’s allowed under Washington’s Safe Start program.

It reopened Crow Butte to day visitors, hikers and fishers, which were allowed under Phase 1, Benton County’s status in early June. Guests are asked to keep a safe distance and to wear face masks. Visitors need to wear masks around park staff, which includes two couples who serve as paid hosts at the campgrounds.

The playground is closed, as is the campground.

They will stay closed until Benton County meets the state’s goals for managing coronavirus to warrant moving to Phase 2.

Phase 2 allows businesses to open on a limited basis. It also expands on outdoor recreation to allow camping, visits to beaches and some sporting activities.

It is unclear when Benton and Franklin counties will graduate from the current status – a modified version of Phase 1. The two have some of the state’s highest infection rates.

There have been requests to allow RVers whose campers have their own bathrooms and showers and don’t need access to communal restrooms. It decided against the RV-only plan.

“We feel that we need to wait and follow the guidance through the state so we can confidently open the park to all patrons safely,” Thomas said.

Until it reopens, the port is forced to cancel campsite reservations and refund payments, which come to about $16,000 a month.

The park generated $230,000 in 2019. Salaries, insurance and maintenance cost about $200,000. There were 6,243 day-use visitors, 1,141 overnight campers and 1,706 moorage visitors last year.

RVers pay $35 a night to camp while tent campers pay $20. Day visitors are asked to pay $5. Thomas said the port is developing a web-based payment system to reduce the need for cash at the park.

The Port of Benton runs Crow Butte under a state law that encourages public ports to support recreational and tourism activities in areas where other public and private agencies aren’t able to do so. The Army Corps of Engineers set up Crow Butte Park in 1970s as part of the McNary Dam project.

The Washington State Parks Department ran it until a budget crisis forced it to consider closing it. The port took over under its lesser-known mission to support recreation and tourism areas in underserved areas.

Situated about 14 miles west of Paterson on Highway 14, Crow Butte is surrounded by farmland and a sparse population that doesn’t attract investment.

The park itself has such poor cellphone coverage that the port recently equipped hosts with satellite phones so they can field calls about reservations.

Follow the park’s status @crowbuttepark on Facebook.

Call 509-940-7326 or email [email protected] for more information.