Family-Outdoors

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) According to year-end numbers recently compiled by the SD Department of Game, Fish and Parks, South Dakota’s most-visited state parks gained popularity in 2013. The agency said both visitation and camping in the state parks reached all-time highs last year, topping records set in 2012. The biggest draws were  Custer State Park  in the Black Hills and  Lewis and Clark Recreation Area  near Yankton. The two parks also set their own records for the number of visitors, at 1.9 and 1.2 million, respectively. Both parks are major draws for out-of-state visitors. Custer and Lewis and Clark comprised nearly 40 percent of the 7.8 million park visitors statewide. Camping numbers also increased across the state, up 3.2 percent over 2012. “A lot of people took to the outdoors in 2013,” said Doug Hofer, director of GFP’s Division of Parks and Recreation. “We saw increases in mid-week and shoulder season use, both in camping and day-use....

Image via Wikipedia PICKSTOWN, S.D. – State Park officials say last year’s Missouri River flood in South Dakota will have little impact on campers to  North Point Recreation Area  near Pickstown this summer. “North Point was lucky in that it escaped some of the major damage we saw upstream,” said State Parks and Recreation Director Doug Hofer. “While the park staff will continue to work on repair projects throughout the summer, campsites and major facilities should be back on line in time for summer recreation.” Hofer expects all North Point campsites and comfort stations to be operational for the first official weekend of the summer camping season, referred to as Open House Weekend, May 18-20. However, campers should keep in mind that full recovery will take quite a while, he said. While North Point Recreation Area and most of its facilities will be open this spring, some facilities will not be in the same condition as they were before the flood. Visitors will se...