LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. — State officials said last year was a record-breaker with 46 million visits to Pennsylvania State Parks.
“It was truly a record-breaker. A lot of our career staff have never seen anything quite like it. Attendance was up a good 30 percent, reservations up 40 percent higher. We saw an additional 8 to 9 million people in the state parks than we usually see," said Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn of Pennsylvania's DCNR.
The pandemic limited what many could safely do, so they turned to the great outdoors: camping, fishing, hiking, biking, and more and park officials expect big crowds this year, too.
“Last year there was a phenomenon as people tried to buy kayaks and bikes and camping equipment found out. This year people have that equipment. We’ve come off of a long year of restrictions, and I think people will be in the mood for the outdoors.”
State park officials said they are happy that so many people are enjoying nature, but they have some tips:
- make sure you research which park you plan to visit,
- check out the rules and regulations
- make sure you have a backup plan.
"What you want to do before you leave home use this opportunity, get online and explore DCNR webpage, download maps and then have a Plan A and a Plan B or Plan C.
Secretary Dunn said she has heard from many people who have found brand new state parks and places they love to visit in the past year.
With many considering staying closer to home in the warmer months to come, an uptick in visitors to state parks is expected this spring and summer, especially for those wanting a little getaway but aren't quite ready yet to fly out of town.
Newswatch 16’s Ryan Leckey shared some of your picks for PA state parks.
