Visitation increases at state parks

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North Dakota state parks had more than 136,000 visitors in September, an improvement of 70 percent over the same period last year, according to a press release from the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department.

Third quarter visitation numbers show a 32 percent increase over 2008 third quarter numbers.

With the September increase, expectations are the state park system will top 1 million visitors in 2009 given current visitation at more than 960,000 through nine months, according to the release.

‘“These are exciting statistics, not only do they follow a national trend in state park visitation, but in many cases exceed those benchmarks,” North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department Director Doug Prchal said. “People are again discovering the value of state parks as travel destinations.

State parks have a lot to offer, close to home, in an environment well-suited for families.”

The state park campgrounds experienced an increase of 7,695 campers from 2008 and an increase of 6,388 above 2007 data. While park services have been reduced in preparation for winter, campgrounds are still open and are being kept busy as hunters take to the fields.

For information about state parks, contact public information officer Gordon Weixel at 701-328-5358 or e-mail him at gweixel@nd.gov.

More information can be found at www.parkrec. nd.gov.

Tags: northland, outdoors, places, recreation, state, parks