Barton Community College officials Thursday treated Great Bend Chamber of Commerce members to a tour of the new Trails Ends Lodge at its Camp Aldrich facility. This recently completed building replaced the original Trails End Lodge, which was destroyed by a fire in 2018. 

The steel building is divided into four pods, each containing 48 beds as well as restrooms with showers. Most of the bunks in one pod were moved to make room for a small crowd Thursday when Barton hosted the weekly Chamber Coffee.

Brandon Steinert, director of public relations and marketing, said one pod can be rented for $180 a night. 

The lodge is located near the Dining and Events Center, which is also fairly new. It replaced a building that was destroyed by fire in 2014. Both buildings were constructed with modern fire-retardant materials and feature improvements over their original versions, Steinert noted.

“We’re always working on improving this place,” he said of Camp Aldrich, which is home to Camp Hope and other camps. It’s also a popular venue for weddings.

Coleen Cape, executive director of the BCC Foundation, said the Dining and Events Center is so popular that people should plan to make their reservations early. “Think ahead, if this is really the place where you want to have an event.”

Vice President of Administration Mark Dean said the facility is booked for most weekends until Christmas.

Those attending the Chamber Coffee who missed the open house for the Dining and Events Center were welcome to view it, too, but Dean said the tour should be brief because a group that is planning a wedding this weekend was coming in to work on decorations.