Montana State Parks
Montana's 56 state parks host 3 million visits every year because they are the most affordable and accessible way to access public lands. Unfortunately, this popularity means they are also stressed to the breaking point.
Visitation Booming
Montanans love their state parks. So do out-of-state tourists. In 2020, our parks enjoyed over 3-million visitors. That broke the previous record by 24 percent.
Parks are growing in popularity because they are the most accessible gateway to adventure, recreation, history and culture. Widespread, regular use of state parks and public lands characterize us as Montanans, and these protected lands convey to outsiders what is special about our state and contribute to our economic well being.
Stressed to the Breaking Point
Unfortunately our park system is in crisis. There are insufficient resources to maintain existing trails and recreational amenities, provide visitor services like interpretive guides and education programs for children, or even ensure basic sanitation, maintenance, and potable water.
This underfunding has been decades in the making and it's estimated the maintenance backlog is now over $26 million.
A Dedicated Investment
The Montana Outdoor Fund provides an important source of dedicated funding to help get our parks back on the path to prosperity.
This new revenue is critical to keeping Montana's state parks affordable and accesible destinations where residents and visitors alike can camp, hike, fish, boat, and discover our world-renowned natural and cultural treasures.
