The National Park Service website indicates the Colorado tourism industry benefits from 13 national parks. These sites attract more than 6 million visitors annually with an economic benefit of about $375 million to Colorado.
| Park Service Type | Name | Location | State(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Historic Site | Bent's Old Fort | LaJunta | CO |
| National Park | Black Canyon Of The Gunnison | Montrose | CO |
| River Corridor | Cache La Poudre | Colorado | CO |
| National Historic Trail | California Trail | CO | |
| National Monument | Colorado | Fruita | CO |
| National Recreation Area | Curecanti | Gunnison | CO |
| National Monument | Dinosaur | Vernal, UT & Dinosaur, CO | CO and UT |
| National Monument | Florissant Fossil Beds | Florissant | CO |
| National Park & Preserve | Great Sand Dunes | Mosca | CO |
| National Monument | Hovenweep | Blanding, UT & Cortez, CO | CO and UT |
| National Park | MesaVerde | Cortez and Mancos | CO |
| National Historic Trail | Old Spanish Trail | AZ,CA,CO,NV,NM,UT | |
| National Historic Trail | Pony Express Trail | CA,KS,MO,NE,NV,UT,WY | |
| National Park | Rocky Mountain | Estes Park and Grand Lake | CO |
| National Historic Site | Sand Creek Massacre | Kiowa County | CO |
| National Historic Trail | Santa Fe Trail | CO,KS,MO,NM,OK | |
| National Monument | Yucca House | Cortez | CO |
Headwaters Economics recently released their 2014 interactive economic impact report for the entire NPS system. In 2014 the 11 Colorado sites, that data is tracked for, had 6.1 million visitors with spending of $379 million.
| Site | Visitations | Spending | Jobs | Income from Spending |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bent's Old Fort | 24,555 | $1,377 | 21 | $546 |
| Black Canyon Of The Gunnison | 183,046 | $10,948 | 148 | $5,093 |
| Colorado | 416,862 | $25,301 | 386 | $9,972 |
| Curecanti | 931,368 | $38,729 | 522 | $16,391 |
| Dinosaur | 250,624 | $14,298 | 194 | $5,736 |
| Florissant Fossil Beds | 63,298 | $3,550 | 55 | $1,946 |
| Great Sand Dunes | 271,774 | $15,755 | 234 | $6,104 |
| Hovenweep | 26,808 | $1,620 | 23 | $622 |
| Mesa Verde | 501,563 | $49,982 | 742 | $19,580 |
| Rocky Mountain | 3,434,750 | $217,020 | 3,282 | $123,180 |
| Sand Creek Massacre | 7,402 | $415 | 7 | $113 |
| Total | 6,112,050 | $378,995 | 5,614 | $189,283 |
Locals are an important part of the Colorado tourism sector; however, they benefit from the industry much more than they contribute to it. In 2014 the Headwaters data showed:
• Colorado locals accounted for 11.1% of NPS tourism visitors.
• NPS Tourism spending by locals was 3.3% of the total for Colorado.
• About 1.2% of NPS tourism jobs were supported by local tourism spending.
• Locals accounted for 2.7% of the NPS income generated from tourism spending.
The contribution of NPS visitors to the Colorado economy is impressive; however, a recent report by Dean Runyon showed it is a small part of the total Colorado tourism industry. The report stated that a record 71.3 million visitors spent $18.6 billion in Colorado in 2014.
The next time you hear a Texas accent that sounds out of place, have an out-of-state driver cut you off because they are lost, or have to follow a Winnebago up a mountain pass at 25 mph – be glad they are here. Their spending in our state helps support our infrastructure and make our lifestyle even better.