New York State Team
ALBANY - The COVID-19 pandemic limited travel last year for most New Yorkers, so they found an outdoor alternative nearby: the nation's largest parks system in their home state.
Attendance at New York's 180 parks and 35 historic sites hit a new attendance record in 2020 with 78 million visits, a 1.2% increase from 2019.
New York has invested heavily in the park system, and the $1 billion investment has paid off, state officials said: The state has had nine years of visitor growth, up 34% during that span.
"In 2020, our state parks became an even more critical resource than before as New Yorkers sought safe places for solace, exercise and relief from the pandemic," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement Jan.26.