For many South Dakotans, time outdoors has been essential to living a full life during the pandemic. Custer State Park in the Black Hills surpassed 2 million visitors in a single year for the first time in its history.
Interim Secretary Kevin Robling says that many people are using nature to escape.
“I hope folks that did come to the parks system did experience greatness. I sure did, I traveled around the state myself and my family and got to experience the great outdoors and utilize those services as well.”
Robling also says that while fun, people must use discretion and be safe.
“I was trying to take my three-year-old ice fishing yesterday and before I did so I obviously checked the ice and where the ice was good just two weeks ago it wasn’t so good yesterday, so we decided not to go.”
For more information on South Dakota’s outdoors, visit South Dakota - Game, Fish, and Parks | South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks (sd.gov)