State, national and local parks across the country have been witnessing a significant boom in visitor numbers, particularly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. In Iowa, the latest in visitation numbers show an estimated increase of 115% since 2017, which equates to an increase of roughly 1.7 million visitors annually at state park and recreation areas.

Even as the pandemic begins to stabilize, tourism counts remain high, suggesting that a renewed interest in outdoor recreational activities may be here to stay. In response, the national park service, state departments of natural resources and municipal park and recreation department are assessing ways to fortify park infrastructure and make upgrades to accommodate growth.

In 2021, the Iowa DNR selected MSA to examine 52 day-use parking lots in 24 state parks and recreation areas in order to identify parking inadequacies and opportunities within visitor parking areas. MSA team members embarked upon a vigorous five-day-a-week schedule of data collection and assessment, compiling a vast amount of information all within a short, 6-week observation window.

The MSA team utilized two main methods of data collection: a physical survey, in which staff observed visitor parking lot activities during pre-determined times of peak traffic, and traffic cameras, which recorded vehicle flow during weekends. MSA also developed a custom GIS app that would streamline data collection as well as data organization for the DNR. This app was used to first geo-map all 52 visitor lots and then assign a ranking of existing physical condition, footprint, boundaries, and materials — with the means to also denote which parking lots or lot areas should be prioritized for replacement or repair.

Now complete, this study will assist the DNR in making data-driven decisions for potential future work in order to continue providing a pleasant park experience for visitors.