South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks officials say this summer’s Adventure 250 program was a big success, encouraging thousands of residents and visitors to explore state parks across South Dakota.
The program challenged participants to earn points through activities like hiking, fishing, paddling, attending park programs, and spending time outdoors. Nearly 2,000 submissions were received, representing more than 12,000 individual adventures and over 9,000 photos from parks across the state.
Officials say more than 70 percent of participants reported they plan to visit state parks more often after taking part, while more than half said the program motivated them to visit parks they had never explored before.
Custer State Park, Good Earth State Park, and Big Sioux Recreation Area saw the highest participation levels.
Game, Fish and Parks reports a 97 percent satisfaction rate among participants and says next year’s summer program will focus on camping opportunities available throughout South Dakota’s state park system.
