ALBANY, N.Y. — Despite being in the middle of a pandemic, 2021 was a record setting year for attendance throughout the New York State Parks system.
The state's historic sites, campgrounds and trails welcomed 78.4 million visits in 2021, an increase of more than 427,000 compared to 2020.
Niagara Falls State Park led the way with more than 9 million visitors last year. That is a robust increase of more than 3 million visitors over 2020 when border tourism was greatly curtailed due to COVID-19 restrictions.
State Parks also set a new record in 2021 for overnight visitation at campgrounds, campsites, cabins and cottages booked for more than 787,000 nights.
"I am grateful that even more people decided they wanted to go to our State Parks and Historic Sites in 2021, even as other recreation options were becoming more available to them," said State Parks Commissioner Erik Kulleseid. "New York has invested significantly in recent years to make its facilities world-class and even more improvements are coming."
The first-of-its kind Autism Nature Trail at Letchworth State Park and improved access to the Niagara Gorge at Niagara Falls State Park are two projects completed since the start of the pandemic.
To plan your next visit or adventure, click here, download the free NY State Parks Explorer mobile app or call (518) 474-0456.
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