Record Year For National Parks

National Parks draw record-breaking crowds in 2014. More than 290 million people visited national parks last year, breaking the previous record set in 1987. The National Park Service says the reopening of the Washington Monument in 2014 boosted visitation numbers. The parks saw a dip in visits in 2013. NPS attributes that to the 16-day government shutdown and several park closures for repairs after Hurricane Sandy.