National Forests Were Highly Popular in 2020

Not only were local parks, beaches, and trails popular destinations during the pandemic, national forests were highly visited as well. According to a newly released Forest Service report, national forests and grasslands received 168 million visits in 2020, an increase of 18 million when compared to 2019. The report, compiled by the Forest Service’s National Visitor Use Monitoring program, shows the greatest increase in visits occurred between May and October of last year. Dispersed recreation sites and wilderness areas saw the most significant increases, with an estimated 25% growth in visitation overall. Visits to those areas surged even higher in the summer months when compared to 2019. The data also shows that visitors enjoyed their experience, with 95% of visitors reporting being satisfied or very satisfied with their visit. 

Completed in five-year cycles, the National Visitor Use Monitoring reports information the Forest Service uses to manage recreation to meet visitor demands while continuing the care for the long-term health and productivity of U.S. national forests and grasslands.