Ten Best-Attended State Parks Announced

The Florida Department of Environmental Protections (DEP) Florida Park Service today announced state park attendance at its 160 parks increased during the 2010-2011 fiscal year. More than 20.4 million people visited Florida state parks during the last fiscal year, an increase of approximately 300,000 people from the previous year.

Said DEP Secretary Herschel Vinyard, The increase in visitors illustrates the demand for recreational and educational experiences that are affordable, close to home and protective of Floridas valuable natural and cultural resources.

For the fifth year in a row, Honeymoon Island State Park in Dunedin welcomed more visitors than any other state park, with more than 1.1 million visitors. The other parks on the state's Top 10 list:

• Gasparilla Island State Park, Boca Grande 823,000 visitors.
• Sebastian Inlet State Park, Melbourne Beach 781,000 visitors.
• St. Andrews State Park, Panama City Beach 770,000 visitors.
• Lover's Key State Park, Fort Myers Beach 754,000 visitors.
• John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Key Largo 718,000 visitors.
• Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne 714,000 visitors.
• Anastasia State Park, St. Augustine 548,000 visitors.
• Bahia Honda State Park, Big Pine Key 535,000 visitors.
• Blue Spring State Park, Orange City 523,000 visitors.