Park Service Visits Beat Major Sports Attendance

The National Park Service says last year's visitation to the nation's parks and other recreational properties beat out, "Major League Baseball, the National Football League, professional basketball, soccer and NASCAR combined," in terms of attendance. More than 275 millions folks came through the gates of NPS managed properties in 2007. Service officials are holding their collective breath, hoping the numbers hold up, as with the exception of 2004, visitation has been sliding since 1999.

The National Park Service is looking to a major influx of visitors when its centennial celebration rolls around--but that's still several years off--the big anniversary isn't until 2016. Nevertheless, park officials say they've been trying hard to drum up more interest among the masses, luring them away from video games and computers and out into the fresh air.

The biggest "winners" in terms of visitation? The Blue Ridge Parkway, followed by the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. While it may be 'the world's largest ditch,' the Grand Canyon National Park turned up Number Nine on the list of the most visited park "units" last year. That figure could be somewhat deceptive, as the park system includes more than just parks: The service manages a vast array of real estate aside from officially designated parks. There are seashores, battlefields, monuments, and scenic rivers to name just a few. So if you're interested in "National Parks" proper, then last year the Great Smokey Mountains and the Grand Canyon were the top two, respectively.

Photo: Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah copyright R & T DeMaris