According to AAA, 110,300 South Dakota residents are expected to travel over the Memorial Day weekend. Which marks a 1 percent decrease from last year.

Nationally, travel is also expected to decline during the weekend by 0.9 percent.

Nearly 90 percent of South Dakota residents traveling this weekend will drive to their destinations, with the average roadtrip expected to be 680 miles or less.

One of the biggest impacts on the lower travel numbers is the high gas prices across the region.

“Absolutely, gas prices will have an impact, they have already cut into peoples’ budgets,” said Marilyn Buskohl, spokeswoman for AAA South Dakota. “I think it’s definitely going to have an impact to where, if people are contemplating taking longer trips, maybe they will try and do things closer to home.”

She added that she believes gas prices have reached a crest, and should start coming down.

In addition to gas prices, weather also impacts Memorial Day travel nationally, although not as much in the region.

“Traditionally, the weather is cool and rainy around Memorial Day, so at least people around South Dakota are pretty well prepared for that,” Buskohl said.

Jacquie Fuks, executive director of Southeastern South Dakota Tourism, said Memorial Day weekend is “huge” for travel in the region.

“This weekend is bigger than Labor Day, because it’s really the first time to get out with the family and go,” she said. “People have been trapped all winter and are ready to get out.”

Fuks added that visitor requests for the region have picked up online and, despite higher gas prices, people are still going to travel to the area.

“I think gas prices impacts retail sales, more so than travel,” she said. “People will get out, but might not buy T-shirts or go to fancy restaurants while on vacation.”

Fuks added high gas prices typically means good things for the region.

“Because most traffic to South Dakota comes from the east, people might not go to Mount Rushmore or the Black Hills,” she said. “They might try and find something to do on this side of the state.”

Shane Bertsch, district park supervisor for the Lewis and Clark Recreation Area, said the entire park will be full this weekend.

“This is the kickoff weekend, and is the first weekend that we’re actually full with everything, including cabins and campsites,” he said. “There will not be as much water-based recreation, other than fishing, because the water is still pretty cold. We don’t expect a lot of beach traffic, unless the weather straightens out.”

Bertsch added that the sites are full nearly every weekend this summer, except for the first weekend of June and the beginning of August.

“In August, kids are going back to school, and the first weekend of June is typically a bit slow after the long Memorial Day weekend,” he said.

Bertsch noted that the biggest weekend of the summer for Lewis and Clark is the Fourth of July.

“The only way I say that is because there are more people bringing their whole families and there are a lot of reunions that weekend,” he said. “It’s more of a get-together type thing, but Memorial Day and Labor Day are really close, too.”

So far, the season has started off slow because of the April snowstorm.

“Last year, we were able to open up bathrooms in March,” Bertsch said. “This year that got pushed back until the second week of April, a difference of around three weeks.”

Despite the slow start, officials think things will really kick in this weekend.

“This is a big holiday, it’s the kickoff of the summer season and is the first time people can get away to campgrounds,” Buskohl said. “Kids in the state are out of school, and we expect we’re going to see a lot of people driving, more so than flying, to their destinations this weekend.”

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