State Parks attendance back up, revenue still below pre-Covid levels

Robert Creenan, Lockport Union-Sun & Journal, N.Y.
·3 min read

Dec. 13—While the area's state parks have overall recovered attendance-wise from the COVID-19 pandemic, revenues are still not where they were prior to it.

The Niagara Frontier State Park, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commission met last week to discuss the state of Niagara and Erie counties' state parks, including attendance and revenue figures from the 2022 season and some future projects.

The 18 state parks across Niagara and Erie counties brought in a collective total of 12.2 million visitors and $18.5 million in revenue, a 6% increase in visitors from 11.5 million and 12% in revenue from $16.5 million from 2021. It is also 2% more visitors, but 24% less revenue than what was brought in for the 2019 season.

Accounting for just the 10 parks located in Niagara County, they brought in 10.7 million guests and $17.9 million in revenue, both increases of 14% and 6.67% from 2021 respectively. Those numbers however show a 2.48% and 24% decrease in attendance and revenue from 2019.

Park Manager Andy Hillman said the amount of guests coming into each park is an estimate, with some parks having vehicle counters and each vehicle being multiplied by 3.5, the standard number used for state parks.

"A lot of it is based on observation and just tracking vehicle numbers," Hillman said.

The park with easily the largest amount of guests and money brought in was Niagara Falls State Park, whose season saw 8.86 million visitors and $16.5 million in revenue brought in, a 4% and 13% increase from 2021. Those numbers are still down compared to pre-COVID levels of 2019, with a 27% decrease in revenue and 1% of guests.

Hillman also said that lower paid positions like cleaners and grounds people are still hard to fill, but the increase in the state minimum wage should help them.

Among current projects in the works for Niagara County's parks include a Niagara Falls welcome center, replacing the roof on Fort Niagara's French Castle, rehabilitating a pavilion at Whirlpool, and region wide paving works, which would all cost around $46.6 million.

"It's not always easy to find money for the basics, but it's one of the first things that a visitor experiences," said Mark Mistretta, the Western District Director for NYS Parks, about having money going towards paving works.

For upcoming projects in the area that are out for bids, Artpark will be receiving a shoreline trail connector ramp and other improvements to its 4th Street entrance, parking lot, and trails, which have a combined listed cost of $8 million.

Future projects down the line currently in the design process for Niagara County's parks include extending the Crow's Nest stairs at Niagara Falls State Park, Phase 2 of removing the Niagara Scenic Parkway, parking lot and site improvements for Joseph Davis State Park, new bridges by the American Falls, a shoreline stabilization by the lighthouse at Golden Hill State Park, and a new house lighting system at Artpark. Full funding has not been secured for these, which would cost a combined total of $109.9 million to complete.