JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – A record number of people have visited Missouri state parks this year, with attendance topping the 20 million mark for the first time.

Gov. Jay Nixon announced the new record Wednesday.

Nixon says enhancing the park system was a priority when he took office in 2009. He says millions of dollars have been spent to improve parks and add to the system.

Among the parks seeing big gains in 2016 were Castlewood State Park and Babler State Park near St. Louis, Elephant Rocks and Johnson’s Shut-Ins in southeast Missouri, Table Rock State Park in southwest Missouri, and Weston Bend State Park north of Kansas City.