ASHFORD -- This summer was the busiest at Mount Rainier National Park since 2003.
And apparently many of those visitors brought along their tents, trailers, campstoves, coolers and sleeping bags, pushing campground use more than 20 percent higher than in 2008.
Park statistics show more than 722,000 people visited the park June through August. That's the highest total for the three-month summer season since 730,642 visited the park in 2003.
This summer's recreational visits were up 5.6 percent compared with last summer.
Part of the increase can be attributed to three weekends in which the $15 park entrance fees was waived.
"Those fee free weekends were among our busiest," said Randy King, acting park superintendent. "We were seeing another 500 to 600 cars a day those (free) weekends compared to the other weekends."
The other draw was the great summer weather in late June and through July.
"If the sun shines, life is good. We had a great summer here in the Northwest and as a result park visitation is up," King said.
"The weather is a huge factor here, with about 60 percent of our visitation originating in the Puget Sound region," he said.
"If people wake up and can see the mountain from home, they come. If they can't see it, they stay home."
Further evidence that folks were opting to spend part of their summer at the park can be seen in overnight stay numbers.
The number of people staying at the park's campgrounds through August was 68,623, up 21.7 percent from 2008. The number of backcountry stays also was up, 10.1 percent to 33,077 people.
"With the economy, people are trying to recreate closer to home," King said. "Camping is probably one of the most affordable things people can do recreationally."
While overnight stays at the park's two inns are down 8.1 percent, it has still been a good season, said David Wilde. He is general manager of Guest Services, Inc., which runs the Paradise and National Park inns.
"It's been an interesting season, with the economy going as it is," Wilde said. "The volume has been good and it has been busy.
"People are very value oriented and we anticipated that. We had lowered our menu prices and that has helped. Overall, revenues are about the same as last year, thanks to the increase in the volume."
Similar stories:
Businesses don't see mass exodus from Hanford layoffs
Businesses don't see mass exodus from Hanford layoffs
The Tri-Cities is waiting to see exactly how the recent Hanford layoffs will affect the community, but so far there are no signs of a mass exodus out of town for newly unemployed workers.
There still are plenty of moving trucks available for rental -- even for a fast turnout this weekend -- and anyone looking for a place to stow their property while they figure out what to do next can find lots of available storage units around town.
But one storage unit manager said she has seen some units get emptied as people leave town, and RV park managers said some workers have pulled out the recreational vehicles they were living in.
New TV home for the league is reason to celebrate
New TV home for the league is reason to celebrate
Once upon a time, a new TV network needed sports programming and made a deal to broadcast NHL games.
Jobless rate rises in Mid-Columbia
Jobless rate rises in Mid-Columbia
Hanford layoffs took a bite out of Tri-City employment in October, but some of the blow was softened by jobs added elsewhere.
The Tri-City area lost about 800 nonfarm jobs between September and October, according to data released Tuesday by the state Employment Security Department.
And the number of unemployed workers shot up by 1,490 to 10,440.
Our state parks require voluntary investments
Our state parks require voluntary investments
It looks as if a new fee for using state parks may be discouraging use of Sacajawea State Park in Pasco.
Visitors were down by 50 percent in July, the first month the annual $30 Discover Pass became a requirement in state parks.
And while that's a steep decline, the user fee can't be all to blame. Park use was already down by about 30 percent for the year, even before the fee went into effect.
WEATHER: Advisory warns Puget Sound of bigger storms coming
WEATHER: Advisory warns Puget Sound of bigger storms coming
TACOMA — As the South Puget Sound wakes today to fresh snow, the National Weather Service warns that more severe winter weather could be on the way.
“I’d recommend staying home if you can,” said Johnny Burg, an NWS meteorologist. “I definitely would if I could.”
By Wednesday evening some areas in the South Sound could accumulate as much as 14 inches of snow, Burg said. The NWS issued a storm watch for Monday night through this afternoon and through Wednesday evening. Temperatures could dip into the mid-20s tonight and Wednesday, Burg said.
Print
Email Story
