News Release

Tourism to the High Plains Group of Parks contributes $4.8 million to local economies

Wild Returns National Parks Service infographic of economic benefit statistics

NPS

News Release Date: August 30, 2024

Contact: Jake Koch, 719-383-5023

Contact: Geoff Goins, 575-278-2201, ext. 230

La Junta, Colo. – A new National Park Service report shows that 112,860 visitors to the four parks within the High Plains Group in 2023 spent $4.8 million in communities near the parks. That spending supported 60 jobs in the southeast Colorado and northeast New Mexico area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $5.3 million.

Amache National Historic Site, formally established in February of this year, has only recently begun tracking visitation and we look forward to including its data in future years. 19,000 visitors to Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site in 2023 spent $1.3 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 17 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $1.7 million. 88,000 visitors to Capulin Volcano National Monument in 2023 spent $3.1 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 38 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $3.2 million. 5,860 visitors to Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site in 2023 spent $392,000 in communities near the park. That spending supported 5 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $417,000.

“I’m so proud that our parks and the stories we tell make a lasting impact on more than 300 million visitors a year,” said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams. “And I’m just as proud to see those visitors making positive impacts of their own, by supporting local economies and jobs in every state in the country.” 

“People come to the parks of the High Plains Group to explore prairie landscapes and unique American stories and end up supporting the US and local economies along the way,” said High Plains Group Superintendent Eric Leonard. “We’re proud that these four parks support 60 jobs and generate nearly five million dollars in revenue to communities near the parks.”

The National Park Service report, 2023 National Park Visitor Spending Effects, finds that 325.5 million visitors spent $26.4 billion in communities near national parks. This spending supported 415,400 jobs, provided $19.4 billion in labor income and $55.6 billion in economic output to the U.S. economy. The lodging sector had the highest direct contributions with $9.9 billion in economic output and 89,200 jobs. The restaurants received the next greatest direct contributions with $5.2 billion in economic output and 68,600 jobs.

An interactive tool is available to explore visitor spending, jobs, labor income, and total economic contribution by sector for national, state, and local economies. Users can also view year-by-year trend data. The interactive tool and report are available on the NPS website. 

The High Plains Group of Parks consists of three national park units in southeast Colorado, and one in northeast New Mexico. Situated in the landscapes of the high plains, the four parks preserve and interpret a cohesive history driven by Indigenous peoples, European colonization, Westward expansion, trade, and agriculture leading to distinct moments of opportunity, tragedy, and persecution.

To learn more about national parks in Colorado and New Mexico and how the National Park Service works with communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to www.nps.gov/co or www.nps.gov/nm.