Israel Luna and his sister stake out camping spot number one at Dragonfly Texas
Israel Luna opens his new campground, Dragonfly, in Fannin County
RICH LOPEZ | Staff writer
rich@dallasvoice.com
After about two years in the making, Israel Luna’s campfire dreams come true this weekend.
He has been working practically nonstop to open Dragonfly Texas Campgrounds — first with business partners and now a solo venture. And now, with all the planning and permits and campsites in order, he’s ready to open the proverbial doors to his own clothing-optional oasis.
“Right now, I have about 40-45 camping spots where people can bring their gear,” he said. “We also have four yurts and four sheds that we’ve turned into cabins.”
There’s still work to be done, but the campgrounds are ready for visitors with a shower area and temporary restroom areas.
“We will be roughing it this weekend, but the wonderful thing is that the property is so beautiful,” he said.
He described at length the trees and the hills that surround the space where guests can get lost (without getting lost), away from the hullabaloo of everyday life.
Dragonfly is located in Ravenna, about an hour and a half northeast of Dallas between Sherman and Paris.
As Luna has progressed to opening weekend, he has made some changes to his original vision. Originally, he intended the campground to be exclusively male-only — and it still is, but now he’s also open to a bigger audience.
“If there are groups who want to reserve the campgrounds, I’m totally open to that. I would love seeing a group of women campers or a retreat here,” he said. “And with reservations, I’d keep the campgrounds open only to that group so there won’t be any overlap.”
Getting the swimming pool ready for the opening weekend at Dragonfly Texas
Luna still has plans to pave areas for RV hookups, but as of now, no RVs are able to enter. He’s also expanding the electricity connections and has plans for a structure to use for indoor events. There are plan for a pool area as well.
All of that costs a pretty penny.
“I am funding this myself, and we have big expenses. To proceed, I am open to investors and donations to see this fully realized,” Luna said. “I have a business plan to get there, to have Dragonfly open and be the best it can be.”
Of course, for those familiar with Israel Luna’s films, he has a penchant for camp as well as camping. Naturally, he had to have themes for his cabins.
“We already have themes of Glitter Unicorn. We have the Hobbit House. We have the Love Shack with an actual ‘tin roof, rusted.’ My favorite one is our Shady Pines cabin,” he said.
Luna has launched the campgrounds website as well for reservations. For opening weekend, he will cap attendance at 100, but there are still reservations available.
This all hasn’t been without some drama. Luna’s well aware that he’s in a conservative small town, and he’s said that rumors have swirled that his campgrounds are a sexually-oriented business. However, he’s done his due diligence in securing the proper permits and reading over city regulations with legal assistance.
By all accounts, he said, he’s good.
“I’ve heard we are nicknamed ‘Sodom and Gomorrah’ already,” he said. “I do have a feeling something might happen, maybe with demonstrators at our soft opening this week. But everything is by the book, so we are well within our rights.”
His vision — which he has outlined for Dallas Voice before — remains the same: “I think when we get older as gay men, we feel like the community forgets you. I saw that with some good friends, and I wanted to have a place of community for them to belong — for me to belong to,” he said.
“I’d love to retire and be surrounded by nature all the time. But still, my vision is for this to be a place for all ages to come together.”
Well, all ages 21 and up, since the campground operates with a private membership.
Luna has often operated in a male-only space through his Naked Yoga sessions and nudist groups. But it’s far less about the lack of clothing and more about the safety he says.
“I think it’s important to have an escape from the city life and bring back a touch of the flower children vibe,” he said. “We take nature for granted; I think a space like this is needed for men, and it’s a space I’m most familiar with.”
Visit DragonflyTexas.com for more information.