Walnut Canyon National Monument | Courtesy of National Park Service
A report released this month by the National Park Service shows that visitors to Arizona’s national parks in 2013 spent $773.9 million and supported nearly 12,000 jobs in the state.
More than 10 million people visited national parks in Arizona last year, the report says. Nationwide, nearly 275 million people visited national parks in 2013, and those visits created a benefit of $26.5 billion to the U.S. economy.
The peer-reviewed study also confirms a common statement about America’s national parks: For every $1 invested in parks, $10 in economic benefit is created.
Arizona’s 2013 numbers were up from 2012, when just under 10 million people visited national parks in the state. Those visitors created $745.6 million in economic benefit. That’s despite the 16-day government shutdown that closed national parks in October 2013. Park visitation and economic impact were down slightly nationwide as a result of the shutdown, the study says.
To view and download the full report, visit http://www.nature.nps.gov/socialscience/economics.cfm.
Arizona Highways 
Keep up the great job you are all doing at our beautiful National Parks. Arizona has been my home for almost 11 years now and I couldn’t be more proud to say I am a devoted Arizonian. Love this state….