Last year was a banner year for the Berrien County parks.

More than 400,000 people don’t lie, which is how many visitors the county parks welcomed in 2010 — an increase of about 50,000 people from 2009.

According to parks and recreation director Brian Bailey, fee collection for all the county parks for the year totaled $604,412 — an increase of $108,386 or 22 percent over the previous year.

“It’s the best year revenue-wise we’ve ever had,” Bailey said.

Silver Beach County Park led the way with a $92,233 increase, or 30 percent, from 2009 to 2010. Fee collections at Love Creek increased 24 percent or $11,900, while Madeline Bertrand Park saw a 2 percent increase.

“In 2010, we had an incredible ski season and a hot summer, so beach attendance was outstanding,” Bailey said.

He also said not to look past the increase at Madeline Bertrand in Niles.

“What folks tend to forget is July 2009 was extremely cool so Madeline Bertrand was a very busy park in 2009. So for it to beat 2009 is outstanding,” he said.

This year is off to a solid start with heavy snow attracting cross-country skiers to Madeline Bertrand, which has brand new skis.

“Number one is the great conditions of the park, meaning the park staff is constantly grooming and track setting the trails,” Bailey said.

Despite the great year, the parks and recreation department is still not satisfied. It is applying for a $10,000 grant to develop a master plan for Madeline Bertrand Park. If the grant from the Heart of Cook Foundation Fund is awarded, the county would match it with a $2,000 in-kind contribution.

“The park is 25 years old and well-established and well-utilized by the public,” Bailey said. “But after 25 years we do see some areas that we can improve.”

The master plan would help with applying for state and federal grants to fund the improvements. Bailey said the department would seek public input on the master plan. Possible improvements include the park entrance, the gatehouse area, the disk golf course and the ski rental building.