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Gov.
Blagojevich announces 2006 attendance at Illinois state parks the
largest since 2002
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Over 44
million visitors enjoyed state parks throughout Illinois last year
[March 13, 2007]
SPRINGFIELD -- Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich
announced March 2 that attendance figures at Illinois' more than 120
state parks and natural areas in 2006 were the largest they have
been since 2002. Attendance figures for 2006 show 44,482,810 people
visited a state park last year, eclipsing 2005 attendance figures by
316,429.
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"Millions of people and families
from Illinois and across the nation enjoy every year the beauty of
our state parks and the many activities they offer. This great boost
in tourism also helps strengthen the economy of the state's
regions," said Gov. Blagojevich. "Illinois has some of the most
beautiful and affordable parks in the nation, and visitors from all
over the Midwest are enjoying them every year," said Acting Illinois
Department of Natural Resources Director Sam Flood. "Our state park
system remains popular for its diversity and affordability."
As one of only eight remaining states that do not charge visitors
to enter state parks, Illinois' park attendance has grown steadily
over the last four years and currently ranks among the top five
states in the nation for park attendance, according to the National
Association of State Park Directors annual information exchange.
The Illinois
Department of Natural Resources manages state parks and
recreational sites located on nearly 482,000 acres of land, ranking
sixth in the nation in total acreage in state parks and recreation
areas.
Visitors looking for an overnight stay at Illinois state parks
will find everything from RV and primitive campsites to cabins and
lodges. Illinois ranks in the top four in the nation in the number
of lodges.
Illinois state parks and recreation areas offer a diversity of
activities for day visitors, and the state places third in the
nation in the number of day visitors to parks. Regardless of the
purpose of your trip -- whether a family picnic; fishing; a float
trip down the river; hunting; wildlife observation; canoeing;
photography; touring miles of trails on foot, bicycle or horseback;
or, depending on the season, snowmobile or cross-country skiing --
the Illinois Department of Natural Resources offers thousands of
acres of opportunities to explore the Prairie State.
[to top of second column] |
 Illinois State Park attendance by year
| Year |
Attendance |
| 2000 |
43,291,820 |
| 2001 |
43,517,989 |
| 2002 |
44,851,817 |
| 2003 |
42,718,133 |
| 2004 |
43,516,733 |
| 2005 |
44,166,381 |
| 2006 |
44,482,810 |
Top five sites that saw biggest
attendance increase (See table below for
details.)
-
Cache River
-
Weinberg-King
-
Frank Holten
-
Ray Norbut
-
Castle Rock
Last year the governor's budget called for an additional $1.5
million to enhance parks and natural areas throughout the state
through projects like pavilion roof replacement and the replacement
of water and sewer systems on state park property.
In June 2006 Blagojevich officially opened the World Shooting and
Recreational Complex in Sparta, expanding recreational opportunities
throughout the southern Illinois region.
[Text
copied from file received from the
Illinois Office of Communication and Information]
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Top five sites that saw biggest attendance
increase
|
Site name
(county) |
2005 |
2006 |
Difference |
% |
|
Cache River
(Johnson) |
64,865 |
139,360 |
74,495 |
114.85% |
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Weinberg-King
(Schuyler) |
62,394 |
83,238 |
20,844 |
33.41% |
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Frank Holten
(St. Clair) |
1,079,002 |
1,360,531 |
281,529 |
26.09% |
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Ray Norbut
(Pike) |
5,548 |
6,875 |
1,327 |
23.92% |
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Castle Rock
(Ogle) |
132,874 |
164,023 |
31,149 |
23.44% |
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