Oregon State Parks continued to see near-record visitor counts in 2023; Detroit Lake, Prineville Reservoir record gains
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon State Parks continued to experience near record-breaking levels of both day use and camping in 2023, the agency reported Tuesday.
It was the second-busiest year for day-use visits, with an estimated at 52.2 million visits, just behind the historic record of 53 million in 2021. It was the fourth busiest camping year with 2.9 million camper nights, which is slightly less than the record high of 3 million in 2021.
Parks with the largest increases in day-use visits include Beachside State Recreation Site, Ecola State Park, Harris Beach State Recreation Area (most visited in the state), Oswald West State Park, Maud Williamson State Recreation Site, Lewis and Clark State Recreation Site, Clyde Holiday State Recreation Site and Farewell Bend State Recreation Site.
Camping was slightly down overall, due in part to closures at two popular campgrounds, Beverly Beach State Park and Bullards Beach State Park, which were closed starting in the fall for construction projects. The valley and mountain region saw a slight increase in camping, however, with some of the largest increases at Detroit Lake State Park, Milo McIver State Park, Prineville Reservoir State Park and Lake Owyhee State Park.
Sustained higher visitation underscores the need for rangers and support staff statewide. Last month, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department started its 2024 seasonal recruitment to hire 250 seasonal rangers and ranger assistants with the goal of filling all those roles this year.
Rangers and support staff work hard to keep the parks clean and safe while providing educational and recreational opportunities. Visitors can also help at their favorite parks by following park rules, leaving no trace and thanking a ranger when they can. They might also consider visiting some of the hidden gems in the park system to find a new favorite place to explore.
Parks with some of the lowest visitation include Catherine Creek State Park, Bates State Park, Jackson F Kimball State Recreation Site, Unity Lake State Park, Cottonwood Canyon State Park, Clay Myers State Natural Area at Whalen Island and Golden and Silver Falls State Natural Area.
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department continues with its GO Bonds projects totaling $50 million in improvements to aging infrastructure and to protect Oregon’s resources with projects at nine parks. The work will also add visitor facilities and expand camping at several parks including Silver Falls and Champoeg by 2026. The improvements were funded by general obligation bonds approved by the Oregon Legislature in 2021.
“We are incredibly grateful to our visitors, volunteers, partners and to all those who cherish and support Oregon State Parks. We could not steward these outstanding natural, scenic, cultural, historic and recreational sites without your support,” said OPRD Director Lisa Sumption.
The overnight camping figure is derived by taking the total number occupied sites and applying a multiplier to estimate the number of camper nights. The day-use figure is derived by taking car counts and applying a multiplier to estimate the number of visits. Car counters sometimes require maintenance and replacement, which can impact individual numbers. The overall results are OPRD’s best estimate for tracking trends over time.
