About West 40 RV Park and Campground
A History Of 5-Star Customer Service
West Forty RV Park opened in May 2004 along with the opening of the nearby Iron Range Off-Road Vehicle Park just a few miles away. This area attraction continues to be the number one draw for our guests over the years and we've built our campground to support that sport of off-roading.
West Forty takes its name from the second of two 40-acre parcels of land owned by the Skrbec family since the mid-1970s. The first parcel (the east 40) was located immediately east of the current campgrond and once was the location of Sunrise Terrace Mobile Home Park in the mid-1970s through the 1980s and the last mining boom for the Iron Range. At one point, more than 300 people lived at Sunrise Terrace which was home to 10 percent of the City of Gilbert's residents. The Skrbec family exited the mobile home business in the late 1980s and the land was transformed into a local housing development.
In the early 2000s, the City of Gilbert and the Department of Natural Resources began to move forward with the now, extremely popular Iron Range Off-Road Vehicle Park which reclaimed the old Schley Mine and created a new center of off-road recreation for the state. At the urging of family-friend and late MN Representative Tom Rukavina, our family decided to open a privately-owned alternative to the municipal-run campgrounds in the area.
Over the years, West Forty RV Park has continued to make improvements to our property, but we've learned our number one asset is the friendliness and helpfulness of our family-owners and park staff. Our top priority is to ensure that guests have an enjoyable time when they visit Gilbert! Our campground has quickly become a popular lodging option for people traveling to Gilbert - Minnesota’s Off-Road Capital.
Our family has lived in Gilbert dating back to the early-1950s. We consider ourselves to be ambassadors to the great things our city and region have to offer. We know every business and service you might need in the area and we're happy to make referrals so your time spent in Gilbert is enjoyable and hassle-free.
West Forty RV Park and Campground is the only privately-owned campground in a 30-mile radius of Gilbert, MN. Featuring the longest drive-through campsites in the area, a wide selection of full-hookup campsites and direct trail access to the Iron Range Off-Road Vehicle Park and Mesabi Trail. West Forty offers many extra amenities including free air, ATV/OHV wash station, on-site propane tank exchanges, a campground store and other services like the BSF Recovery Team Repair Zone for people to make repairs on-site.
West Forty RV Park and Campground has 26 drive-through full-hookup campsites, 8 back-in full-hookup sites, 6 dedicated tent/group tent sites, a two-camper group site which includes full use of the campground’s pavilion 2 glamping tent-cabins, a rental camper and 14 back-in sites for smaller campers with a variety of electric and water/sewer options. West Forty has a total of 58 campsites making it the third biggest campground on the east Iron Range area with the most drive-through, full-hookup options for campers.
Managing Owners
Paul Skrbec, is the youngest son of Leo and Yvonne, and serves as the CEO of Mesabi Mountain Holdings and managing partner of West Forty RV Park and Campground since 2020. He's an avid outdoor enthusist and loves the outdoors, camping, running and adventure travel. From mid-April through October 31 each year, his primary residence is at the campground. In the off-season he spends most of his time in Minneapolis with his husband, Chuck, and their two golden retrievers where he runs a massage practice from his home studio. They are in the process of building a home at the campground.
His professional background includes more than 20 years of working in travel and tourism at several industry-leading companies such as National Car Rental, Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines. After living in Atlanta for six years, he opted to take an early-retirement from Delta in 2015 to be closer to family and pursue certification as a massage therapist and personal trainer. Paul was elected to the Gilbert City Council in 2024 for a four year term in addtion to being active in organizing the Gilbert business community. In 2023, he co-founded Range Iron Pride and actively supports the LGBTQ community on the Iron Range. He grew up blazing many of the trails in the Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area with his junior/senior high school friends and is a fierce advocate for further economic development in the area tied to the sport of off-roading.
Partner/Director
Eldest son, Ron Skrbec, is the CFO and treasurer of Mesabi Mountain Holdings. He is responsible for human resources and providing budget oversight for West Forty RV Park and Campground. He lives in Rosemount with his wife, Renee, and assists with camping operations on weekends whenever he can. He is nearing retirement from Dakota County and also drives a Zamboni for the City of Rosemount.
During the summer, he and his family enjoy spending time at the Skrbec family cabin on Lake Vermillion. His kids, Megan (Marc), Shawn (Stacy) and Darci also enjoy the lake and try to come up to the range whenever they can.
Founder/Partner
Leo Skrbec and his wife Yvonne Skrbec, are life-long residents of Gilbert who served as the original owners of West Forty RV Park after Leo retired from LTV Steel after 40 years of service. Leo serves as the Executive Vice President of Mesabi Mountain Holdings and assists with daily operations of the campground. While Leo is now in his 2nd retirement after turning over the campground to his son's, he still helps with maintenance and campground operations as well as taking some time to have a beer with campers. Both Leo and Yvonne continue to volunteer in several of Gilbert's local community organizations.