The number of visitors to DuPont State Recreational Forest this year hit 327,000 at the end of October, a historical high, and forest officials said attendance shows no sign of easing up anytime soon.
Publicity surrounding its mountain biking trails, waterfalls and a role in the filming of the popular “Hunger Games” movie has drawn in thousands.
Initial results of a 2012 exit poll conducted by DuPont rangers showed half of roughly 900 visitors surveyed were from North Carolina, 21 percent from South Carolina, 9 percent from Florida and 5 percent from Georgia. But rangers were surprised to find that about 2 percent of DuPont visitors were from California, while other groups came from as far away as China, Great Britain and the Ukraine.
The March premiere of “The Hunger Games” — and subsequent DVD release in August — lured hundreds more visitors hoping to see where star Jennifer Lawrence, who played “Katniss,” crossed Triple Falls and plunged into a pool below Bridal Veil Falls.
Brevard-based Hunger Games Fan Tours sold out all of its main-season events and were half-full for November. Bookings for 2013 tours have already begun filling up.
A second movie, “Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” will wrap up filming next month in Hawaii after shooting scenes this fall near Atlanta. Rangers predict interest in the filming locations — including DuPont — will remain strong among “Hunger Games” fans for years to come.
While good for tourism-related businesses, increased visitation at DuPont isn’t without its downsides. Growing pains at the forest include damage to stream banks and trails from heavy foot traffic, parking lots that regularly overflow onto roadsides and greater numbers of accidents.
In 2006, the forest recorded 20 incidents such as lost hikers, injured tourists and car accidents. In the first eight months of this year alone, there were double that amount, including 13 traumas and five search and rescues.
