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Visitors flock to Honeymoon Island State Park
By SUZETTE PORTER
| Article published on Sunday, July 22, 2007 |
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DUNEDIN – Honeymoon Island State Park in Dunedin topped the state park’s attendance list for 2006-2007.
According to a recent report from the state Department of Environmental Protection, Florida State Parks set a new attendance record with more than 19.5 million people visiting one of the state’s 160 parks during the fiscal year.
Honeymoon Island State Park welcomed 975,000 visitors during the time period, more than any other park.
The record-setting 19.5 million attendance figure represents a 7.6 percent increase from last year’s attendance numbers, DEP officials said. Based on the Money Generation Model designed for and used by the National Park Service to assess economic impact in the local area around a park, last year Florida State Parks generated nearly $900 million for Florida’s economy.
Honeymoon Island is a popular destination for people who are looking for a natural environment, including plenty of beach, mangrove swamps and tidal flats.
According to information at www.floridastateparks.org, “the pioneers called it Hog Island, but it became Honeymoon Isle in 1939 when a New York developer built 50 palm - thatched bungalows for honeymooners.”
Visitors can access the park located at the west end of State Road 586 via the Dunedin Causeway. The park features plenty of natural surroundings, including one of the few remaining virgin slash pine forests.
The park offers several nature trails and bird observation areas. Visitors also can spend time swimming, fishing and snorkeling in the Gulf waters. Showers are available and the park also has a gift shop and snack bar.
Florida state parks are open from 8 a.m. until sundown 365 days a year.
For more information, visit www.FloridaStateParks.org.
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Article published on Sunday, July 22, 2007
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