Oregon State Parks had another year of record numbers of visitors in 2023.
FILE: Harris Beach State Recreation Area in Brookings had more than 1.7 million day-use visitors in 2023, making it the most visited state park for the year.
Courtesy of Oregon State Parks
The latest numbers show more than 52.2 million day-use visitors — just behind 2021′s historic high of 53 million. And for overnight camping, the system saw 2.9 million camper nights.
Parks on the coast were the most popular for both day use and camping. According to Oregon State Parks, the most visited park was Harris Beach on the south coast. Other popular sites include Beachside State Recreation Site, Ecola State Park, Oswald West State Park, and Lewis and Clark State Recreation Site.
Stephanie Knowlton with Oregon State Parks said she knows people love to find out which park is most popular, but she also recommended checking out some of the lesser known parks.
“Oregon is so lucky to have an incredibly diverse park system,” said Knowlton. “And, so we’re encouraging people to maybe look at some parks that don’t get as much visitation and see if they will find a new favorite out there.”
Parks with some of the lowest visitation include Catherine Creek State Park, Bates State Park, Jackson F Kimball State Recreation Site, Unity Lake State Park, Cottonwood Canyon State Park, Clay Myers State Natural Area at Whalen Island and Golden and Silver Falls State Natural Area.
FILE: Catherine Creek State Park is a lesser-visited park near La Grande, Ore.
Courtesy of Oregon State Parks
Knowlton says the Oregon State Parks Department has received bond funds of $50 million from the state to increase its number of campsites and improve aging infrastructure.
The Parks Department said it got the overnight camping figure by taking the total number occupied sites and applying a multiplier to estimate the number of camper nights. The day-use figure is derived by taking car counts and applying a multiplier to estimate the number of visits. Car counters sometimes require maintenance and replacement, which can impact individual numbers. The overall results are OPRD’s best estimate for tracking trends over time.
Knowlton said parks staff and rangers work hard to keep parks clean and safe, and park users can help.
“Visitors can also participate in making it a safe and clean space by respecting park rules and also making sure they leave no trace,” she said. “And, in addition to that, if they have an opportunity, even thanking park rangers for all that they do really goes a long way.”
Oregon State Parks is recruiting for seasonal staff at its website.