SALEM, Ore. — Crater Lake National Park has already set an attendance record in 2016 with the most visitors coming through the park’s gates since tracking began in 1904.
The Statesman Journal reports that Crater Lake had 702,050 visits from January to September, surpassing last year’s record-setting total with three months left in the year. More than 614,000 visitors came to Crater Lake in 2015, setting the previous record.
Park spokeswoman Marsha McCabe says increased visitation can be attributed to the National Park Service’s centennial celebrations as well as other factors. Weather didn’t close the park this year and neither did wildfires, meaning more visitors could get in the gates.
