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Marylanders Love Their State Parks

creative commons

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - A new survey shows that Marylanders love their state parks.

Goucher College is presenting results of its annual Maryland State Parks Poll Wednesday in Annapolis.

The random sample of 708 residents found that 71 percent had visited a state park in the past year.

Seventy-six percent of park visitors gave their experience high marks. They rated their overall experience either a 4 or 5 on a scale of 1 to 5.

The survey found strong interest in visiting state parks for relaxation, picnicking, exploring historical sites and hiking or walking. Camping, fishing and canoeing were the least favorite activities.

The poll was funded by the school's Sarah T. Hughes Field Politics Center endowment. The visitor experience portion had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.