Parkway Stats Show Decline In Visitors By Scott Nicholson A decline in the number of visitors to the Blue Ridge Parkway has led to some concern about trends in parkway usage. Last year, 18.7 million people visited the parkway, according to preliminary figures released this month. It’s the third year of decline in a row, a 6.3 percent drop from 19.9 million in 2004 and 20.2 million in 2003. Officials have attributed the drop to everything from gas prices to the weather, but a tightening of National Park Service funding may also be contributing to the disappointing numbers. Phil Noblitt, parkway management assistant, proposed three categories of potential reasons for the drop, from what he called “likely to obvious” to the “possible” to the “speculative and provocative.” Noblitt said the weather and road conditions could make an immediate impact on the number of visitors. Road closings due to Hurricane Francis in the fall of 2004 closed several sections of the parkway, and an eight-mile stretch of pavement between Linville and Spruce Pine is still under construction after a landslide. “That’s certainly had an impact,” Noblitt said. “It was rainy last summer, and the year before that, but several years ago we had almost drought conditions.” Noblitt described a parkway visit as a “weather-dependent experience,” since many people like to hike or camp. He also pointed out that last year was a “fair but not brilliant leaf season.” Autumn, one of the peak visit times, was also hampered by Hurricane Katrina and dramatically rising gasoline costs. “The Labor Day weekend, traditionally a big holiday for us, was a bust,” Noblitt said. “It was not just the price of gas, but even concerns about the availability of it. No doubt that contributed to the drop.” Noblitt also speculates that more subjective factors may be coming into play, especially given research that ties visitors’ likelihood of repeat visits with their enjoyment of the scenic quality. “The parkway vistas and views are compromised,” he said. “We’ve also had some cases of haze in the summer that limit visibility.” Noblitt said budget concerns limit the ability of staff to clear overlooks, and adjacent development has encroached on the views. “That’s something local communities should be worried about,” he said, adding the parkway has been fortunate to work with the public and conservation groups to help preserve some areas. Another subjective area is whether or not younger people are as enthusiastic about outdoor recreation as their parents are, though no firm research has been conducted. “There’s the notion that maybe it has something to do with demographics,” Noblitt said. Maybe the younger generation spends time in front of the computer instead of outdoors. There may be generational differences in how people spend their leisure time, and I can’t discount technology’s role.” There’s even a privately operated web site, Virtual Blue Ridge, that offers maps, photographs, videos, trip planners and more, practically everything but the fresh air. However, Noblitt doesn’t think the parkway’s best days have passed. “The parkway is so beautiful, so scenic, that its recreational facilities will survive the ebb and flow,” he said. “It will still be relevant to whatever generation comes along. We won’t ‘go out of business,’ as it were.” Even if visits continue to decline, Noblitt said the park service will still fulfill its primary mission of preserving the land. “We understand how important we are to the local economy,” Noblitt said. “Still, we’re likely to be tops out of the 388 National Park Services areas in visits last year. Part of our mission is to preserve these special places. Drawing visitors is not our overriding mission, but we put a lot of focus on it. “Obviously, we still have tremendous appeal and we’re still important to the region and the travel-and-tourism industry, and the country as a whole.” Noblitt said Congress has been supportive given the state of the federal budget, but since 2000, one of out five vacant positions have gone unfilled due to lack of money. Noblitt said that stretches the money to protect natural resources, keep park rangers on the road and provide educational and interpretative programs. The parkway covers 469 miles in North Carolina and Virginia, and North Carolina’s visitor numbers declined seven percent versus four in the Virginia portion. That ratio had flip-flopped the previous year. Camping stays also declined last year, to 65,630 nights last year from 88,561 in 2004. Noblitt attributed this both to the rainy weather and the primitive facilities. “The National Park Service designed the parkway in the 1930s and 1940s,” he said. “The ideas of camping were much more rustic then. The numbers have declined because we don’t have the resources to modernize.” The park service will soon be adding showers to the campground at Mt. Pisgah. “It will be the first-ever campground showers on the parkway. Most other campgrounds have water and electricity, but this will be our first ever. We’ll see what impact it has. Most people, and I am among them, like to take a shower when they’re camping.”