Released August 20, 2009
COLUMBIA, Mo. – With the recession putting the squeeze on household budgets, families may want to stay closer to home over the Labor Day weekend, said a University of Missouri parks, recreation and tourism professor.
An estimated 35.2 million Americans are likely to travel more than 50 miles from home over the Labor Day weekend, according to AAA.
“Missouri has hundreds of federal, state and local parks where you can enjoy a wide variety of inexpensive recreational activities,” said David Vaught.
“Missouri state parks had almost 15 million visitors last year and with today’s economy that number is likely to increase,” he said.
The Missouri Department of Conservation has nearly a million acres of land managed for recreation and 850 lakes accessible for fishing. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains nine large lakes in the state. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service maintains nine Mark Twain National Forest tracts. The National Park Service has six historic and national monuments plus the unique Ozark National Scenic Riverways.
Two MDC Web sites can point the way to quick travel ideas, Vaught said.
At http://www.mdc.mo.gov/areas/, you can find information about parks, trails, nature centers, hunting and fishing opportunities, outdoor education and more.
MDC’s Conservation Atlas Online, http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/atlas, lets you search for MDC-managed areas by name, location, natural features, facilities and available activities.
“Whether it’s biking, hiking, fishing, picnicking, river floats or other activities, you might be surprised how little distance you would have to travel,” he said.
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http://extension.missouri.edu/news/DisplayStory.aspx?N=489
Source: David Vaught, 573-882-9517
Editor: Robert E. Thomas, 573-882-2480, thomasr@missouri.edu
