By JESSA LEWIS
6 News Reporter
KNOXVILLE (WATE) - Extreme heat earlier this summer had an impact on how many people visited Knox County parks.
"It's like the prettiest days are when it's dead, and then when it's all rainy people just go and sit underneath the over and everything. But when it's super bright, no one is here, really," said park visitor Madison White.
"We opened this park in May and from May toward the end of June it was well attended," said Knox County Parks and Aquatics Coordinator Don Carnes. "A day like today, we'd have 200-300 people here. Since about the 4th of July when it started getting really hot, attendance has dropped tremendously."
It isn't just the heat that's keeping people indoors.
"Since the heat's dwindled, now we've got the rain, and the rain is doing the same thing. It's keeping people away. Today just being a cloudy day until just now. You can see them they're just now starting to come back in," Craned added.
Park employees are still making sure everything runs smoothly for the people who do spend the day outside.
"It actually kind of cuts down on our workload a little bit, because it's less trash to pick up, less people to pick up after, but still, we like to see people here in the park. That's what they're here for," explained Carnes.
With school back in session now the number of visitors will continue to fall, as it normally does this time of year.
"Little kids come early in the morning when it's nice and cool, and your bigger kids come from about noontime to about 4:00 and then you see the families come back later in the evening. This year it hasn't been like that," Carnes elaborated.
Park hours can be found on the Knox County website.
