Visits to state parks grew by an average of 36% in region during pandemic

Visitation to state parks and forests skyrocketed in May compared to last year by an average of 36%, with the highest jump in the region at Laurel Summit State Park in Somerset County at 122%.

“At the outset, outdoor activities were among the few things people could do,” said Terry Brady, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

“While surrounding states and local parks were closing their boundaries, we close the facilities but not the grounds,” he said.

The swell of park visitors to state parks actually caused litter problems earlier in the season.

State parks, as compared to many local parks, usually have more acreage, sometimes featuring larger bodies of water and streams.

“Trails, lakes and streams and open space proved a strong draw to the homebound,” Brady said.

According to DCNR’s Bureau of State Parks, these state parks drew the most increased number of visitors from May 2019 compared to May 2020. Percent increases have been rounded.

Laurel Summit, Somerset County: up 122%, from 2,571 visitors to 5,719.

Ohiopyle, Fayette County: up 67% from 95,849 visitors to 160,293.

Yellow Creek, Indiana County: up 54% from 13,355 visitors to 20,534.

McConnells Mills, Butler County: up 48% from 34,586 visitors to 51,257.

Raccoon Creek, Beaver County: up 42% from 87,060 visitors to 123,274.

Laurel Hill, Somerset County: up 33% from 28,133 visitors to 37,518.

Moraine, Butler County: up11% from 166,538 visitors to 185,326.

“Our park have been busier than ever,” said Kenneth Bisbee, Ohiopyle State Park operations manager.

Although the parks parking lots have been full at major attractions such as the bike trail, the main waterfall, Cucumber Falls and the natural slides, visitors have been well dispersed, Bisbee said.

That’s not hard to do at Ohiopyle, which is the largest state park in Pennsylvania at 20,600 acres, with more than 80 miles of trail and at least 20 miles of frontage along the Youghiogheny River.

Also another park growing in popularity in the Laurel Highlands is Laurel Summit State Park in Somerset.

“The scenery there is spectacular with its rock croppings with sweeping vistas of the Allegheny Mountains chain,” Bisbee said.

Demographics determined the heaviest turnout at parks. “Parks closest to people draw the most people,” Brady said.

DCNR monitors park attendance by car counters, camper registration, parking lot surveys and ranger and park officials’ observations.

State parks continue to open up more services and programs to the public. As of Monday, some park programs were permitted to resume in areas that are in the green phase of Gov. Tom Wolf’s restrictions for the pandemic.

Masks and social distancing are still musts at state parks.