South Carolina state park revenue has grown 30% since July, benefiting from the Greenville Business ‘go outdoors’ board

South Carolina state park revenue has grown 30% since July, benefiting from the Greenville Business ‘go outdoors’ board

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GREENVILLE – Repeated messages to spend time outdoors and socially distant during the pandemic appear to have benefited South Carolina’s state parks.

Since the state’s 47 parks reopened in May, after closing for a month to assess the spread of coronavirus, the occupation of camps and cabins is significantly higher than in 2019.

As of this week, revenue for the 2020-21 fiscal year that started on July 1 increased 30% from the same point last year, said Dawn Dawson-House, director of corporate communications for the Department of Parks, Recreation and SC Tourism.

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The state park system reported $ 31.86 million in revenue for the 2019-2020 fiscal year ending June 30, which represents a drop of just $ 2 million over the previous year, despite losing the entire month April with the closure of COVID-19.






Keowee Toxaway State Park

Overlooking Lake Keowee from Keowee Toxaway State Park. Ryan Gilchrest / Team



“Our park teams across the state have consistently received visitors during the day and at night in greater numbers than we have ever seen,” said Paul McCormack, director of the state park service.

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“Only with the hard work of a dedicated team and the cooperation of an understanding audience can we manage the crowds and provide the experiences and resources that, for many, have become the highlight of a stressful year,” he added.

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May and June showed modest gains, but from July 1 to November 18, the occupation of the camp increased by more than 12% compared to 2019, to 60.77%.

Cabins have performed even better since July, reaching 78.75 percent occupancy, an increase of more than 13 percent over last year.

On November 27, the state park system is waiving admission fees, which typically range between $ 3 and $ 8 per person, according to a press release. Free admission is part of the national #OptOutside campaign, which encourages staying outdoors the day after Thanksgiving. The national promotion is sponsored by retailer REI.

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A one-year pass for all 47 state parks costs $ 99. A pass for 35 select parks – excluding some of the most popular, like Hunting Island, Paris Mountain and Table Rock – costs $ 75 for a year.

Follow Ryan Gilchrest on Twitter at @ryangilchrest.

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