Visitors to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore must feel like they are traveling through Lake Woebegon, the made-up hometown of National Public Radio celebrity Garrison Keillor.

Keillor colorfully describes Woebegon children as “above average” — which is where park patrons put the Lakeshore when quizzed about its facilities, visitor services and recreational opportunities.

A survey received at the Lakeshore headquarters in Empire last week showed a decided majority of park users enjoyed their visit.

The results didn’t surprise park superintendent Dusty Shultz.

“I have a wonderful staff … they are truly exceptional public servants,” said Schultz. “We’re pretty steady (in the survey) with a 95 percent (satisfaction level) overall.”

Survey cards were handed to a random sample of visitors to the park in August. Some 93 were returned and forwarded to the University of Idaho, where students and faculty compiled results.

The survey was broken into three categories, with recreational opportunities finishing the highest with a 93 percent “satisfaction level.” Visitors were given five choices for ranking categories — very good, good, average, poor and very poor. Good and “very good” choices were combined to create a satisfaction level.

Satisfaction for outdoor recreation was rated at 96 percent; “learning about nature, history or culture” came in at 91 percent.

Some 92 percent of visitors were satisfied under the category of “visitor services.” Shultz said she was most proud of two sub categories — 97 percent of visitors were satisfied with assistance from park employees; 100 percent were satisfied with ranger programs.

Scoring much lower was “commercial services in the park,” with a 75 percent satisfaction level.

In the general category of “park facilities,” four of five areas received a 90 percent or higher satisfaction level. They were visitor center, exhibits, “walkways, trails and roads,” and “campgrounds and/or picnic areas.” Scoring lowest was restrooms at 82 percent. The subcategories combined to create a 90 percent satisfaction measure for park facilities.