State parks post record visitation last year

Montana State Parks announced Jan. 29 that annual visitation numbers for 2013 are the highest on record, with more than 2,112,000 visits to Montana’s 54 state parks.

Visitation numbers saw a 5 percent increase over 2012 and a 28 percent per year increase over the past 10 years. That’s good news for the tourist industry as the state parks system celebrates its 75th year this year.

Visitation is up for the parks system as a whole despite Bannack State Park being closed for seven weeks last summer following a flash flood.

The Northwest Region posted 471,121 total visits. Wayfarers State Park had the highest visitation in the Northwest Region at close to 125,000 visits. From 2012 to 2013, Lone Pine State Park in Kalispell had the largest increase in visitation at 16 percent.

The North Central Region posted the highest overall numbers, with Giant Springs State Park in Great Falls posting the highest visitation for all state parks with more than 307,000 visits.

“These numbers are incredibly strong and exciting,” Montana State Parks administrator Chas Van Genderen said. “Montana families and out-of-state visitors know that our state parks are affordable places to explore and experience some of the best camping, hiking, fishing, floating and outdoor recreation in the state.”

Tours, special events, ranger programs and education opportunities provided by FWP were enjoyed by more than 100,000 visitors each year, Van Genderen said, and more than 25,000 school students experienced state parks as outdoor classrooms last year.”

The top 10 state parks were:

1 Giant Springs State Park in Great Falls, 307,666 visits, up 5 percent

2 Lake Elmo State Park in Billings, 172,357 visits, down 20 percent

3 Spring Meadow Lake State Park in Helena, 158,842 visits, up 55 percent

4 Cooney State Park in Roberts, 157,198 visits, up 17 percent

5 Wayfarers State Park in Bigfork, 124,949 visits, up 11 percent

6 Lone Pine State Park in Kalispell, 77,591 visits, up 16 percent

7 Tongue River Reservoir State Park near Decker, 76,297 visits, up 36 percent

8 Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park in Whitehall, 70,617 visits, up 9 percent

9 Whitefish Lake State Park in Whitefish, 62,003 visits, down 3 percent

10 Pictograph Cave State Park in Billings, 60,072, up 17 percent

By comparison, Glacier National Park was up 2 percent over 2012, with 2,190,374 visits in 2013, and Yellowstone National Park was down 8 percent over 2012, with 3,188,030 visits in 2013.

For more information, visit online at http://stateparks.mt.gov.