MINNESOTA, USA — When the pandemic first hit, Rachel Hopper with the Minnesota DNR says they didn't know what to expect.
Many national outdoor experts thought reservations at parks and trails would take a nose dive, and they did at first, but then a funny thing happened.
"We saw very high levels of use. Like 200% to 300% above normal use levels,” Hopper said.
Those numbers came back down a little as the summer went on, but not by much. Statewide, both permits and trail use went up by 50% in 2020 in Minnesota. Overnight camping also went up by 33%.
Overall, more than 12.3 million people visited Minnesota parks and trails last year. That’s a 25% increase, a higher increase than the DNR saw in the last 15 years combined.
"We're thinking the stress of the pandemic overall helped drive people outdoors,” Hopper said. "And it was just a relief to get outdoors and do something. With so many things closed, our state parks and trails remained open." And Hopper thinks that increased demand likely had a profound effect on mental health.
"There is so much data that shows there is direct health benefits to getting outdoors and into nature, both physical and mental, and emotional, and we really saw that this past year."
Besides the regulars who show up every year, Hopper said state workers also saw a lot of first-timers. "And so we're hoping to continue that relationship with people and encourage them to get outdoors again this year."
So far, the numbers are also looking good in 2021. The DNR’s online reservation system has already accepted more than 183,000 overnight reservations this year. That’s compared to 131,000 in 2019, before the pandemic started.
Hopper said that’s a 39% jump, and the year is far from over.
"It’s a lot, but there still are reservations out there. So, if your favorite park may be booked up for whatever weekend you're planning, there are still 74 other state parks and recreation areas that you can go visit."
But Hopper said you shouldn’t wait much longer to make your reservation.
"Either get it in now, or be a little flexible about what time of week you go, or where you go,” Hopper says. "We are looking forward to an extremely great year. We're hoping the weather holds out, but we're looking to welcome people back."
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