It’s still early, but Matthiessen State Park looks poised for another year of half a million visitors.

The park office released attendance figures through March 31 and Matthiessen had more first-quarter visitors (nearly 71,000) than in any year except 2024.

That’s notable because it was in 2024 that Matthiessen set its all-time attendance mark with 545,525 visitors. While projections are fluid, this year’s first quarter total suggests another year with half a million visitors.

What’s going on? Monty Bernardoni, site superintendent for Starved Rock and Matthiessen, said March rains fueled the park’s waterfalls while a number of unseasonably warm days beckoned spring-break visitors.

“The waterfalls were flowing well,” Bernardoni said, “and everybody is taking advantage of those really nice days.”

As for Starved Rock, attendance jumped 16% in March. Bernardoni said trail improvements planned for this year appear to have inspired visitors to take advantage of spring hikes before scheduled closures.