RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia State Parks were a popular destination over the Memorial Day weekend.
The parks saw a record number of visitors over the May 25-28 holiday period, with attendance approaching 315,000. That's an increase of 16 percent compared to the Memorial Day weekend of 2011.
In fact, two parks - Lake Anna State Park in Spotsylvania County and Shenandoah River State Park in Warren County - ran out of parking spaces and had to restrict access.
The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation says the holiday success is part of a trend this year. Through May 31, attendance in state parks totaled 2.6 million, up 13.7 percent from last year.
Parks officials say more people are looking for close-to-home, affordable vacations, and parks fill the bill.
