State parks set visitation record
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News from Montana State Parks
HELENA – According to the latest visitation estimates, Montana State Parks has set a record for visitation during June 2016. More than 422,000 people visited Montana’s state parks last month, which was 28,000 more than 2015 and the highest all-time for the month of June. Montana State Parks has also seen record year-to-date park attendance. Overall, visitation is up 23 percent for the year with nearly 1.3 million visits from January to June, compared to slightly more than 1 million visits at this point in 2015; an increase of 238,000 visits. As sites grow busier earlier in the year, months that have historically seen lower visitation are experiencing large increases. In 2016, visitation surpassed 100,000 monthly visits in February, a milestone reached in April in previous years.
“We are excited to have increases in visitation at our parks for the fifth year in row,” said Melissa Baker, assistant administrator and chief of operations for Montana State Parks. “It’s clear that Montanans value public lands and outdoor recreation … The continued increase in visitation is evidence that Montana State Parks staff and volunteers consistently go the extra mile to provide great recreational experiences and high quality customer service to our visitors.” Locally, Flathead Lake State Park offers camping, picnicking, hiking, fishing, swimming, and boating with both day use and overnight stays at six units: Wayfarers, Yellow Bay, Finley Point, Big Arm, West Shore and Wild Horse Island.
Visit Montana State Parks at: stateparks.mt.gov.
