The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources reported State Park visitation so far in 2021 has not quite kept pace with the records broken in 2020 during the beginning of the COVID pandemic, but it's still 3.9 million ahead of 2019 and well above average.

From January through August, 31,559,249 people visited State Parks in 2021, compared to 34,227,859 during the same period in 2020-- or 2.6 million fewer.

But, from January to April 2021, State Park visitation was actually ahead of the 2020 pace.

In 2019, the last non-COVID year, visitation totaled 27,636,924 from January to August.-- 14.2 percent less than in 2021.

Click Here for month by month numbers.

There are plenty of activities to enjoy in state parks.

Fall Foliage Reports

DCNR will begin weekly Fall Foliage Reports September 30.  Click Here to keep up to date!

For more information on state parks and forests and recreation in Pennsylvania, visit DCNR’s website, Click Here to sign up for the Resource newsletter, Visit the Good Natured DCNR Blog,  Click Here for upcoming events, Click Here to hook up with DCNR on other social media-- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.

NewsClips:

-- PennLive - Marcus Schneck: PA’s Fall Foliage Expected To Bring Vibrant Colors, Accuweather

-- PennLive - Marcus Schneck: PA Has 2 Spots In Top 10 Fall Foliage Destinations In U.S.

-- TribLive: Laurel Highlands Ranks 8th In USA Today’s Top-10 Fall Foliage Spots; PA’s Pocono Mountains Was 3rd

Related Articles:

-- PA Parks & Forests Foundation: Celebrate The Legacy Of Maurice K. Goddard By Investing In Free And Accessible State Parks & Forests

-- After More Than A Decade Of Warnings Significant Funding Was Needed, Floods Are Again Devastating Pennsylvania  [When Will General Assembly Move Funding Bills?]

-- Growing Greener Coalition: American Rescue Plan For Water & Green Infrastructure

-- WeConservePA Urges Groups To Work With County, Local Govts. To Invest Federal Rescue Funds For Watershed Restoration, Land Conservation, Park & Trail Improvement Projects

-- 90 percent Of Voters Want MORE Funding For Critical Environmental, Conservation Programs & Local Projects-- Whose Budget Proposal Does That?

-- New Poll: 86% Say Parks, Trails, Outdoors Are Essential To Their Physical, Mental Health During Pandemic; State Parks Saw 26.6% Increase In Visitors

-- Learn More About $1 Billion State Parks, Forests Maintenance, Infrastructure Backlog At New Website; Then Take Action

-- Green Infrastructure Offers Triple Benefits, Cost Effective Solutions To Stormwater Pollution, Reducing Flood Damage

[Posted: September 14, 2021]

9/20/2021