Acquisition of land for Gilbert Lake State Park, which sits upon lands previously used for timber production, began in October 1926. Development of the park began soon afterward, and was accelerated by the presence of a Civilian Conservation Corps camp between 1933 and 1941. The CCC undertook various improvement tasks, including building numerous cabins, constructing dams, establishing a wildlife refuge, enacting erosion control, and building a network of roads and trails.[3]