Record season for Fort Stevenson State Park
BY TYSON SMEDSTAD
Camping and outdoor activities made major jumps from last year.
With the South Loop shut down for camping and waiting for construction to begin, Fort Stevenson’s numbers are way up.
“We’ve seen sites that have a 96 percent occupancy rate since Memorial Day, so we barely have anything available,” Fort Stevenson State Park Manager Chad Trautman said.
Part of the increase is due to North Dakota residents spending time near home and not traveling out of the state, or the country.
With the Canadian boarder closed due to COVID-19, residents who are looking for alternatives to Canadian vacations are having to look for opportunities closer to home.
But Trautman has seen an increase in out-of-state traffic also.
“The interesting things is we are seeing more out of state users. I think people are getting out of the states they can’t do their stuff in and they are coming here, so that’s good,” he said. “I’ll be working the booth over a lunch break and see California, Mssouri, Minneapolis coming in one right after another. I’m glad to see them here.”
Tent camping is up 60 percent at the park.
