Record number of visitors state parks

Jul 23, 2009 1 min read

TALLAHASSEE (AP) – Florida’s state parks are flourishing in a tough economy.

The state park service said Wednesday that a record 21.4 million people visited Florida parks in the 2008-09 fiscal year.

Honeymoon Island State Park in Dunedin, just north of St. Petersburg, welcomed the most visitors for the second straight year – attracting than 1.2 million people. St. Andrews State Park near Panama City Beach and Bill Baggs Cape near Key Biscayne were next with over 900,000 visitors.

Florida’s system is one of the largest in the country with 160 parks that span more than 700,000 acres and more than 100 miles of sandy white beach. Most are open 365 days a year.