PORTER – The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore had a record 2,165,605 visitors in 2010, according to statistics released by the National Park Service. That was an 11.8 percent increase in visitors from 2009.

            “Surveys show that about 80 percent of the park’s visitors are not from the local area. That means some 1.6 million of these visits are from people outside Northwest Indiana contributing to the local economy through tourism spending,” said park Superintendent Costa Dillon.

            Nearly 500,000 visitors came to the park in July, while June and August each had 300,000 visitors. Dunewood Campground had 23,439 people stay at least one night.

            Of those who visited, most went to the Lake Michigan shoreline with 172,840 visitors at Mount Baldy and 118,743 at Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk.