As word that novel coronavirus spread more effectively indoors, swaths of people took to nature as refuge from stress and safe excursions throughout the pandemic.
The Utah Department of Natural Resources reports that from May to August of 2020, there were 1.7 million more visitors to state parks compared to the same period of time in 2019 — a 36% increase. And it was the same story for state parks like Hyrum Reservoir and other outdoor recreation sites in Cache Valley.
In some cases, the pandemic led to an “exponential” increase in use, according to Carly Lansche, the regional trail coordinator for Cache County. Read the rest of the story on HJnews.com.
This story is made possible thanks to a community reporting partnership between The Herald Journal and Utah Public Radio.
