Campaign aims to bring back the Les Mason dock
Hana Fassnacht, Elodie Howard and Paige Howard are learning to swim at the old Les Mason dock in this photo. (Provided by Gail Fassnacht)
Beachgoers at Les Mason State Park on the east shore of Whitefish Lake have kept afloat without a swim dock this summer.
The cherished dock was removed due to poor condition last summer and it has not been replaced due to a lack of funds.
“The dock was about 20 years old and falling apart," said Dillon Tabish, regional communications and education program manager for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. "We continuously tried band-aiding it together, but finally after last summer, we had to remove the dock due to safety concerns and structural issues."
Local resident Gail Fassnacht, however, is making sure Les Mason can bring back the dock.
“We just love Les Mason and my kids have loved diving off the dock," Fassnacht said. "Ever since they were tiny and learning to swim, it was such a good touch point – you know, to get out there, and see ‘can you swim to the dock?’"
“It was just so sad to have it falling apart last summer. And when we learned it wasn’t going to be coming back this year, I reached out to the park."
When FWP told Fassnacht that there was not enough in Les Mason’s operating funds for a new dock, Fassnacht turned to the nonprofit Montana State Parks Foundation.
“The state loved the idea of a traditional, crowd-sourced fundraiser when I proposed it to them. FWP was excited to approve the project,” said Megan Beucking, Executive Director of Montana State Parks Foundation.
The goal is to raise $10,000 to cover the cost of the dock and its installation.
Beucking said the dock is going to be purchased locally from Lake Life EZ Dock. The dock is to be 8 by 10 feet, the same size as the previous one.
Meanwhile, Fassnacht has been helping spread the word around Whitefish. She said her kids, 8-year-old Anders and 11-year-old Anna, have been her biggest helpers in distributing flyers.
Les Mason was established in 1983, and despite only being 8 acres in size, the park saw 92,596 visitors in 2023. While there are no stats for 2024 yet, “the park has been very busy this summer,” Tabish said.
"While it would be ambitious, it is possible for a new dock to make it to the beach this season. If we get $10,000 in donations, we’ll be up and running soon,” Beucking said.
Donations for the new dock can be made online at montanastateparksfoundation.org/les-mason-dock/.
Checks may be written to Montana State Parks Foundation with Les Mason Dock in the memo and mailed to: Montana State Parks Foundation, P.O. Box 454, Gallatin Gateway, MT 59730.