ANNAPOLIS—Maryland’s state parks saw an 11% increase in total visitors during this past holiday weekend. With the warm weather and relief from the recent rains, many of the state’s 49 parks were filled to capacity by 9:30 a.m. each day over the Fourth of July weekend.
A total of 426,874 people visited Maryland’s state parks over the holiday weekend; 46,942 of those visitors were overnight users. This surpasses the 382,649 visitors over the 2005 July Fourth weekend. Based on the Economic Impact Study recently prepared by the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, the estimated economic impact of overnight users for the weekend was over $2.7 million dollars. This figure does not include activity from day users, secondary economic benefits, or tax revenue to the state and local governments generated from visitor expenditures.
“We are really pleased that people chose Maryland state parks as locations to enjoy their holiday weekend,” said Maryland Park Service (MPS) Superintendent Colonel Rick Barton. “Maryland has a wonderful history of family and friends gathering at our state parks to enjoy wonderful outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, boating, walking, and swimming. The increase in visitors this past weekend is a strong indication that our parks will remain busy throughout the summer.”
The busiest parks in each of the four regions of the state were:
WESTERN REGION: Deep Creek Lake State Park & NRMA
CENTRAL REGION: Gunpowder Falls State Park
EASTERN REGION: Assateague State Park
SOUTHERN REGION: Sandy Point State Park
The Maryland Park Service, a division of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), manages more than 2500 campsites, 131 cabins, which encompasses more than 133,000 acres of land. Maryland’s 49 state parks are a vital component in Maryland’s economy and quality of life, offering some of the best outdoor recreational opportunities in the state.
RELATED INFORMATION:
For more information about Maryland state parks, camping reservations, or to purchase an annual park pass and trail guides online:
http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/