Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park, and others throughout the country, experienced record numbers of visitors in 2015, earning communities surrounding park service land almost $17 billion, the National Park Service announced Thursday.
Visitors spent $450 million in communities around Park Service land in Colorado, $268 million of that around Rocky Mountain National Park, near Estes Park.
More than 4.1 million people visited Rocky Mountain National Park, setting a record, Jonathan B. Jarvis, National Park Service Director, said in a conference call with media to discuss results of the 2015 Economics of Visitor Spending Report.
The park is the third-most visited of the 59 in the National Park system.
That $450 million in spending in Colorado supported 6,937 jobs and had a $666.9 million impact on the state economy, according to the report.
Nationally, spending by a record 307.2 million park visitors had a cumulative impact of $32 billion on the economy, the report said.
The Park Service also manages national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties.
Twelve national park sites in Colorado draw more than 7 million visitors a year, said Sue Masica, director of the NPS Intermountain Region, which includes Colorado.
“Whether they are crossing America on a family vacation, visiting on a school trip or just out for the afternoon, our park visitors come for a great experience, and they spend a little money along the way,” Mascia said.
Visitors to Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, near Montrose, totaled 209,165, and spending was $12.7 million.
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve near Mosca, had 299,513 visitors, for a total of $17.7 million in local spending.
Mesa Verde National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site near Cortez, drew 547,325 visitors, and spending of $55.4 million
Nationally, visitor spending supported 295,000 jobs, and added $16.9 billion to economies of gateway communities within a 60-mile radius of each park. Every dollar visitors spent generated $10 worth of economic impact.
“That is a pretty good return on investment,” Jarvis said.
Tom McGhee: 303-954-1671, tmcghee@denverpost.com or @dpmcghee