The current weather is typically not the time to lure campers into pitching a tent and enjoying the outdoors. However, with another busy season coming into the coming, managers at Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) says it’s not too late to book your reservation for the next summer.
While 2021 was the second time in a row Montana State Parks experienced continuous growth in outdoor recreation, visitors were less than those of 2020. It wasn’t due to the pandemic but more because of the weather.
“We were having a record-setting year really coming into July. As we all know, we had some really unseasonably warm conditions. Very smoky conditions across the entire state,” said Montana State Parks spokesperson Pat Doyle. “So when that does happen, which we’ve seen in the past, that really does affect visitation quite a bit.”
Doyle said it didn’t cause a drop in the number of campers; however, there was a decrease in the number of day-use parks, with people choosing to stay away from the smoke and the heat.
What we see is a lot of times that our people that have that are camping at our parks and have campsite reservations, a lot of times those people do still show up as they’re staying there for multiple days as a vacation that they planned. But a lot of those day-use visitors do, when it gets super smoky out, try to sit that out.”
Setting aside weather impacts that could happen during the year, State Parks administrators see no end in sight for the booming outdoor market. There is a rise in people exploring diverse parks, and the most significant growth is happening in those in Montana‘s cultural parks.
“So we’ve seen a lot of new people coming out to experience our parks. Specifically our cultural parks in places like Bannack State Park. Chief Plenty Coups State Park,” Doyle explained. “Really, those parks that really tell the story of Montana. So it’s been really great to see, and we’re excited that people really value what state parks bring to Montana.”
With a busy summer season ahead, Doyle reminds people that they don’t have to wait to reserve their preferred campsites, as it is currently nearing the window for next summer.
Doyle emphasized that now is a great time to plan your summer trip if you plan to go to some of Montana‘s parks.
