Connecticut's state parks saw an increase of hundreds of thousands of visitors this season.
State park officials and advocates believe that's due in part to sunny weekends and a two-year-old program that provides free admittance for vehicles with a Connecticut license plate.
Rough estimates indicate there's been an approximate 10 percent increase in traffic to the parks this season compared to last season, which was the first year of the Passport to Parks initiative. There was also an estimated 10 percent jump in attendance in 2018.
State Parks Director Tom Tyler says there has also been an approximate 10 percent increase in out-of-state parking fees. Connecticut's parks receive roughly 10 million visitors annually.
The passport program is being credited with encouraging people to make shorter visits, freeing up space for other visitors.
