Their effort shaved nearly $10,000 off the cost of developing the playscape at Gypsum City Off-Highway Vehicle Park south of Fort Dodge.

McGaughy, who died in 2022, was a regular rider at the off-highway vehicle park. He would be pleased with the creation of the playscape, according to his widow, Crystal McGaughy.

“I think it turned out beautifully,” she said of the playscape.

Gypsum City is the largest off-highway vehicle park in the state. Its features include a campground, which is where the playscape is being developed.

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
Volunteers pose Thursday evening at the playscape at the campground at Gypsum City Off-Highway Vehicle Park. They spent about 45 minutes spreading mulch around the log jam that is the main feature of the playscape. Their work honored their late friend, Dave McGaughy, and saved about $10,000 in project costs.

“There was nothing out here for the young kids,” said Rick Hockel, who rode ATVs at the park with McGaughy.

ATV riding is a “very family-oriented sport,” said Tasha West, a trail technician with Webster County Conservation.

That means there are kids at the park and campground a lot.

West said a survey of park-users conducted as part of the preparation for a 2022 master plan showed the demand for a playscape. She said more than 500 survey responses were received.

When all those responses were tabulated, the desire for a playscape ranked high, scoring four out of five possible points.

A benefit was held following Dave McGaughy’s death with the understanding that the proceeds would be donated to causes selected by Crystal McGaughy.

She said the need for a playscape at Gypsum City always “stuck in my mind.” She donated a large portion of the money raised at the benefit to the playscape project.

Additional money for the project came from state ATV vehicle registration fees, Webster County Conservation and the former Webster County Wheelers Club, which still had some money left.

The first phase of the playscape cost about $90,000, according to West.

She said Certain-Teed Gypsum donated boulders and dirt for the site.

-Submitted photo
Volunteers work Thursday evening to spread mulch around the playscape being developed at the campground in Gypsum City Off-Highway Vehicle Park in Webster County.

Last year, West scraped out a trail at the site with a bulldozer.

Then in July Country Landscapes, of Ames, began building the playscape, which is known as a logjam. It consists of big logs arranged in a jumble that kids can climb all over. There will also be a swing hanging from a log.

Beneath and around all of those logs is a soft layer of mulch to cushion the landing for any child who falls.

Hockel said a bunch of McGaughy’s friends got together to handle the mulch.

“We thought, you know what, this will be a good deal,” he said. “You know, we need to step this up.”

-Submitted photo
A volunteer works Thursday evening to spread mulch around the playscape being developed at the campground in Gypsum City Off-Highway Vehicle Park in Webster County.

In about 45 minutes Thursday evening, the group got all the mulch properly positioned.

West said their work saved about $10,000. She said if a contractor did the work it would have cost about $15,000.

But because volunteers did the work, she said, the cost was about $4,000, which was the price of the material and delivery charges.

The playscape will open April 15, 2026. There may be additional phases added later, West said.