Issued as part of the Centennial of the state park system, the study finds that state parks are essential for visitor health and community connections. Additional programs, amenities, and investments are needed.
Cyclists at Buffalo Harbor State Park
Major themes revealed by the study include:
- State parks are integral to the fabric of communities throughout New York, enabling people to build meaningful connections with nature and with each other;
- Visitors appreciate recent and ongoing capital investments and improvements in state parks; and
- State parks are worthy of sustained investment-both for current visitors and for generations to come.
- Continue and increase capital and operational investments for state parks;
- Broaden services and amenities to better engage and welcome diverse communities in state parks;
- Accelerate land acquisition, state park creation, and innovative state park development projects to accommodate a growing constituency of visitors and protect important open spaces; and
- Expand programs and amenities that improve access to nature for children and families.
State Parks Commissioner Pro Tempore Randy Simons said, "We are grateful to the Open Space Institute for this comprehensive statewide study. Not only has our Centennial been an exciting celebration, it's been an opportunity to look back at our history and look forward to our future to better understand what the New York State park system means to our citizens. This detailed input from our visitors will better serve our regular parkgoers and to encourage new and diverse visitors to experience what our parks and historic sites have to offer. We are excited to be working with our partners to make the state park system even better in the next century."
"The Natural Heritage Trust is proud to have partnered with OSI and OPRHP on the development of the Centennial Pulse of the Parks study which demonstrates the powerful impact of the state park system on the well-being and health of communities across New York. We look forward to our continued work together on behalf of the programs and projects that ensure the park system is welcoming and accessible to all,” said Sally Drake, Executive Director, Natural Heritage Trust (NHT).
In 2023, OSI commissioned a statewide survey of visitors, which assessed recreation and demographic trends from 2,600 visitors at 22 representative New York state parks. The parks were selected across five key regions: Western New York, Central New York, the Hudson Valley and Capital District, New York City and Long Island, and Thousand Islands. More than 116 participants also participated in semi-structured interviews with researchers, sharing deeper insights into individual and group experiences at state parks. Data was collected from mid-July through early September 2023, when park attendance is typically at its highest.
The report was produced in collaboration with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) and the Natural Heritage Trust (NHT), and with the research expertise of the Public Space Research Group. Results from the report will help inform future priorities for state park programs, amenities, improvements, and marketing efforts.
Over the past 50 years, OSI has helped OPRHP add nearly 40,000 acres to its park system, increasing the acreage of the state park system by 10 percent. Over the past decade, OSI has invested millions of private dollars for new and upgraded trails and trailheads, visitor centers, restored carriage roads, and other amenities and enhancements at state parks, in partnership and coordination with New York State agencies.
The "Centennial Pulse of the Parks” report builds on OSI's ongoing research and advocacy initiatives to support continued investment in New York's state parks and public lands. From 2013 to 2015, OSI published the initial "Pulse of the Parks” series - a collection of seven reports analyzing visitor demographics, user experiences, and economic impacts at select New York state parks. These reports successfully communicated the value of six individual state parks and demonstrated the need for investments in the state park system to state leadership and policymakers.
The Centennial study and report were funded and developed by OSI in partnership with OPRHP and NHT. This project was made possible with the generous support of the Samuel Freeman Charitable Trust, Overhills Foundation, The New York Community Trust, and other private donors.
About the New York State Park and Historic Site Centennial Celebration
The New York state park and historic site system is one of the oldest in the nation. It encompasses more than 250 parks, historic sites, and recreational facilities across 360,000 acres, including more than 2,000 miles of trails. These facilities provide residents and visitors with access to some of New York's most beautiful and iconic outdoor spaces, recreational areas, and historic sites. The Centennial celebration highlights the important role that state parks have played in preserving the state's natural resources and cultural heritage, while providing physical and mental health benefits and countless opportunities for recreation, leisure, education, and affordable vacations to tens of millions of visitors each year.
About OSI
The Open Space Institute is a national leader in land conservation and efforts to make parks and other protected land more welcoming for all. Since 1974, OSI has partnered in the protection of more than 2.5 million at-risk and environmentally sensitive acres in the eastern U.S. and Canada. OSI's land protection promotes clean air and water, improves access to recreation, provides wildlife habitat, strengthens communities, and combats climate change, while curbing its devastating effects.
About Natural Heritage Trust
The Natural Heritage Trust is a non-profit, public-benefit corporation with the mission to receive and administer gifts, grants and contributions to further public programs for parks, recreation, cultural, land and water conservation and historic preservation purposes of the State of New York. The NHT accomplishes its mission by accepting donations, raising funds, and through cooperative programs and projects with its agency partners: New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Department of State (DOS). For more information visit www.naturalheritagetrust.org
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CONTACT: Siobhan Gallagher Kent
Open Space Institute
(845) 576-8186
