When I was a lad, my parents would load my grandparents, my sister and me up in our old GMC van, and for a month every summer we would travel out west.
We visited America’s national parks across the 48 states, and many of my birthdays were held at the picnic area outside of Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Since getting married in 2001, my wife and daughters and I have traveled the nation and visited every major park in the lower 48, except Acadia and Voyageurs.
National parks are in our family’s blood, we have become National Park voters, donate to them, support them and as a family believe they are one of our nation’s greatest assets.
According to 2024 data, our national parks contributed $56.3 billion in total economic output to the U.S. economy, $29 billion into “gateway regions,” generated $18.8 billion in labor income and supported between 340,100 and 415,000 jobs nationwide.
Broader valuation studies estimate overall societal value is really in the range of $92 billion a year. Our national forests contribute another $15 billion in tourism, and recreational spending within those 193 million acres contributes another $13.7 billion.