RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia’s 36 state parks continue to be a popular destination, attracting nearly 9 million visitors last year. Gov. Terry McAuliffe says the record attendance was up 1.4 percent from the year before. It was the sixth year of record attendance. The governor’s office says state parks had a direct and indirect economic impact totaling $208 million last year. That’s up from the record $206 million in 2013. Clyde Cristman is director of the Department of Recreation and Conservation. He predicts that lower gas prices and a brighter economy will bring even more visitors to state parks in 2015.
