National Parks Economic Impacts

Additional resources and tools and long-term visitation can help you better understand your local economy and the role of protected public lands.

This visualization includes National Park Service Units in the fifty U.S. States and the District of Columbia but not NPS Units in Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam and other U.S. Territories.

This visualization uses data from the NPS/USGS Visitor Spending Effects report series. View the National Park Service’s data tool and the 2018 visitor spending effects report (PDF). We suggest you use this report as the citation for data presented on this page.

How to cite this research: This visualization uses data from the NPS/USGS Visitor Spending Effects report series. View the National Park Service’s data tool and the 2018 visitor spending effects report (PDF). We suggest you use the following citation for data presented on this page: Thomas CC, L Koontz, and E Cornachione. (2019). 2018 National Park Visitor Spending Effects: Economic Contributions to Local Communities, States, and the Nation. (Natural Resource Report NPS/NRSS/EQD/NRR—2019/1922). Fort Collins, CO: National Park Service. As reported by Headwaters Economics.

Patricia Hernandez

  patty@headwaterseconomics.org       406.599.7425

Patty Hernandez is co-founder and Executive Director of Headwaters Economics. Patty has 18 years of experience in researching economic development, building partnerships, and developing technology solutions to help communities plan and adapt to a changing world.