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Alaska’s
national parks saw record visitation in 2007, up nearly 7 percent
over 2006 and topping
2.6 million visits for the first time and marking the eighth consecutive
year of increasing visitation.
The recently released final tally for the 2007 was 2,636,540,
up from 2,471,970 in 2006.
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park in Skagway was again
the most-visited park in the region, with 975,043 visitors. Denali
(458,308) and Glacier Bay (438,211) are the second- and third-most
visited parks. All three saw increases in use over 2006.
In order, other high visitation parks in the NPS Alaska Region
included Sitka National Historical Park (304,799); Kenai Fjords
National Park (284,604); Katmai National Park and Preserve (82,634)
and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve (61,085). Visitation
at Wrangell-St. Elias was up 21 percent over 2006, the largest
increase among the 15 park units reporting visitation in Alaska.
“The visitation to Alaska parks reflects the steady increase
we have seen in the visitor industry across Alaska,” said
NPS-Alaska Regional Director Marcia Blaszak. “We know that
visitors come in large part to see mountains, glaciers, wildlife
and history. Alaska’s national parks showcase those very
things.”
This summer, the NPS will re-open the Eielson Visitor Center at
Mile 66 of the Denali park road. The original facility, built in
1960, was demolished in late 2005. The new facility is significantly
larger and more environmentally friendly. Its features include
solar panels and a small hydroelectric generation system that will
provide much of the power to the remote facility. The building
will open for visitor use in June after being unavailable for three
years.
Across the United States, more than 275 million visits were recorded
in the national park system in 2007, an increase of three million
visits from the previous year. Detailed visitation data for the
Alaska parks and the National Park System are available through
the links found at http://www.nature.nps.gov/stats/index.cfm
-- NPS --
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Author:John
Quinely
Last modified on: April 18, 2003
www.nps.gov/akso
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