Wow! How Many People Visited Montana State Parks in 2020? Gosh, who the heck saw this coming? Besides everybody. They were trending upwards in visits already, but 2020 really ramped up the average. Our good friends at Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks wanted us to share the figures. Montana State Parks recorded more than 3.4 million visitors in 2020, a 29.5 percent increase over 2019. Visitation increased every month in 2020 over 2019, despite temporary closures at a small handful of parks and the absence or sharp decline in school field trips, events and other group activities. The record-setting visitation numbers come as no surprise to any of you who visited parks in 2020. Beth Shumate, Parks Division Administrator at Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks noted, “The increased amount of people outdoors was evident, and our staff went above and beyond the call of duty to keep our parks safe and accessible. Montana State Parks provided immediate physical and mental health relief throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.”