Discover Lake O’ the Pines RV Park at Island View Resort

The Island View Story

It was 6:00 a.m. on a weekday when we got the call. A realtor let us know that an RV park on Lake O’ the Pines had officially hit the market. My husband, Todd Winn, had long dreamed of owning an RV park as part of our retirement plan. That morning, he decided to go take a look. And just like that—we made the decision. By December of 2018, we became the proud (and slightly naive) owners of Island View Landing.

First Impressions

I, Amanda Winn, had never seen the property until the day we signed the closing papers. At the time, we had three teenage boys and one teenage daughter. I thought “this would be a great summer job for the kids”. But when we pulled into the park for the first time… I was stunned. My exact words were:

“My kids aren’t even allowed here.”

It was worse than anything I’d ever seen—squatters, drug activity, stray animals everywhere. The park was filled with abandoned and stripped RVs and mobile homes. Overrun. Unsafe. Unlivable.

Cleaning Up and Starting Over

From 2018 to 2021, we poured everything we had into cleaning it up. We dealt with dozens of evictions, cleared out drug activity, removed countless derelict trailers, and—with the help of a rescue organization—found homes for over 150 dogs.

During this time, we were still living in the Bettie community near Gilmer, commuting back and forth. Our kids were going to Harmony and Gilmer schools. In 2020, our two oldest graduated. And by 2021, we realized we couldn’t fully turn things around unless we were on-site. So we made the leap.

Moving to Lake O’ the Pines

We listed our home, sold it within a month, and by August 2021, we had officially moved to the lake—with all four kids. We didn’t have many options, so we bought RVs to live in. It was a tough 9 months. But we made it. We had each other—and four strong, resilient kids.

Eventually, a family friend sold us a small trailer on the property, giving us a little more space and stability. Around this time, our kids were 18, 18, 20, and 20. We also had the chance to purchase two houses just outside the RV park. We fixed them up and have been renting them out ever since.

Building a Safer Community

Another turning point came when we were able to claim the old oil roads that ran through the property. That allowed us to gate the community—finally giving us a way to keep the chaos out and the peace in.

Growth and the Future

By 2024, we had been at this for five years. And finally, the real vision started to take shape. In January, we broke ground on a brand-new 74-site RV park. By June, it was mostly complete. In the fall, we started construction on our first rental cabin and a much-needed laundry and shower facility.

That same summer, we had the opportunity to buy more land outside our gate. We subdivided it, added restrictions, and were blessed with wonderful new neighbors who bought in. We plan to continue purchasing land to build a better and safer community for everyone here.

Our Commitment

For those who’ve been part of this journey—you know how hard it’s been. You’ve seen the transformation. And we’re not done. Island View is always growing. We’ll keep improving the park, adding amenities, and doing everything we can to make this a place people love to visit—and love to call home.