As the Oregon State Parks system celebrated its 100th birthday last year, a near-record number of visitors turned out at parks across the state.
The 2022 numbers came close to the all-time record set by campers and day visitors in 2021, when Oregon parks saw 53.6 million day-use visits.
Stefanie Knowlton is a spokesperson for the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. She said the upward trend in visitors over the past few years is for good reason.
“We have more than 250 parks, so there is something to enjoy for everyone, whether you want to go to the beach, or mountains, or riversides," she said. "There’s so many different options, and we are really lucky in Oregon to have these spaces to enjoy.”
Knowlton predicted that 2023 will be another year of high numbers. She also reminded everyone who visits to treat your local park ranger respectfully.
