A forest full of students from the College of Natural Resources gathered in SAS Hall Wednesday to hear the director of the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation, Mike Murphy, expound upon the 100-year anniversary of the North Carolina State Park Service and the future thereof.

“We have 41 parks, everything from alpine parks that look like Canada to palm tree-lined beaches that look like Florida, so you’ve got a little bit of everything in North Carolina,” said Sean Higgins, a state parks education specialist speaking on what sets North Carolina apart from other states. 

The event began with promise, showcasing breathtaking images of all 35 of North Carolina’s state parks, interspersed with facts.

Murphy noted a recent increase in state park attendance, by 8 percent and 11 percent in 2016 and 2015 respectively, outpacing state population growth by a wide margin.

In celebration of the centenary, the Park Service announced new initiatives to further engagement at parks, the first of which is a challenge to complete 100 miles of physical activity, preferably in a state park. Upon reaching one of several milestones, participants can request a completion pin, in addition to any bragging rights already earned. Attendees can register online.

The second initiative is a revamp of the park rewards program to reward visitors who travel to many of the parks across the state. Now, at any North Carolina park, attendees can pick up a “park passport” and collect stamps to earn rewards. Once they receive 10 stamps, they can collect a reward such as a state park hat or bag.

• 20,700+ Programs a year
• Began in 1916 when the General Assembly allocated $20,000 to purchase Mount Mitchell.
• The longest trail, Mountains to the Sea, runs over 1,000 miles
• Over 15 million visitors annually, about 150 percent of our state’s population
• Was allotted $75,000,000 from the Connect NC Bond that will partially go toward better bathrooms and improved sewer systems.