News Release
NPS Photo / Jason Ginder
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Contact: Megan Urban, (409) 851-6721
KOUNTZE, Texas – For the third year in a row, Big Thicket National Preserve saw a record number of visitors, recording 309,053 visits in 2020, a 21% increase over the previous year. Despite a temporary closure of the visitor center, the public was still able to find the trails and day use areas open, which saw an increase of visitor numbers during 2020. “The preserve has been able to keep the trails and other outdoor areas open during the pandemic, which has given the local communities safe places to recreate and find peace during this trying time,” stated Big Thicket National Preserve Superintendent Wayne Prokopetz. “Since 1974, the preserve has welcomed visitors interested in hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, or just seeking a quiet place to recharge.”
Nationwide trends of visitation within the National Park Service have seen a decrease in visitation by 28% since 2019 and this is the lowest visitation since 1980, when there were about 325 parks compared to 423 parks in the National Park System in 2020. “This past year has reminded us how important national parks and public lands are to overall wellbeing,” said NPS Deputy Director Shawn Benge. “Throughout the country, national parks provided close-to-home opportunities for people to spend much needed time outdoors for their physical and psychological health.” In contrast to the downward nationwide trend, Big Thicket was one of 15 NPS units that set a record for annual recreation visits and was one of 60 parks that had more recreation visits in 2020 than in 2019.
To truly “see” the preserve, you must venture away from the modern conveniences of automobile travel and take a close look at the small things. The preserve offers over 40 miles of developed hiking trails suitable for all skill levels. Numerous creeks and rivers offer visitors the opportunity to kayak and canoe on over 100 miles of navigable waterways. For the more adventurous visitors, backcountry camping opportunities are available in most units of the preserve. Birding, photography, hunting and fishing are just a few of the other common activities visitors enjoy.
Nationwide, the 423 units of the National Park System received more than 237 million recreation visits, which is a 28% decrease from the previous year due to temporary park closures and restrictions implemented in response to the coronavirus pandemic. For an in-depth look at 2020 visitation, including individual park figures, please visit the NPS Social Science website.
Big Thicket National Preserve is located in southeast Texas, near the city of Beaumont and 75 miles northeast of Houston. The preserve consists of nine land units and six water corridors encompassing more than 113,000 acres. The Big Thicket, often referred to as a “biological crossroads,” is a transition zone between four distinct vegetation types – the moist eastern hardwood forest, the southwestern desert, the southeastern swamp, and the central prairies. Species from all these different vegetation types come together in the thicket, exhibiting a variety of vegetation and wildlife that has received global interest.
-NPS-
Last updated: February 27, 2021