News Release

2021-06-18 Economic benefit from DETO

Date: June 18, 2021
Contact: Curlinda Blacksheep

Devils Tower, WY - A National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 424 thousand visitors to Devils Tower National Monument in 2020 spent $27.9 million in communities near the park. These expenditures supported a total of 385 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $35.7 million."Park staff and I feel fortunate to be able share the nation's first national monument with thousands of people each day. As it has since time immemorial, Devils Tower National Monument, known to many as Bear Lodge, provides renewal. This special place sustains our collective spirit.  Since September 2020, visitation has been 45% above the five-year average. Parking near the visitor center typically fills by 10 am on summer days. We ask visitors to please exhibit patience as they enjoy the spectacular site and surrounding areas," said Superintendent Amnesty Kochanowski.The peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis was conducted by economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas of the U.S. Geological Survey and Lynne Koontz of the NPS. The report shows in 2020, the National Park System received over 237 million recreation visits. Visitors to national parks spent $14.5 billion in communities within 60 miles of a national park. The estimated contribution of this spending to the national economy was 234,000 jobs; 194,400 of those jobs are found in these gateway communities. The cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy was $28.6 billion. The lodging sector saw the highest direct effects, with $5 billion in economic output directly contributed to this sector nationally. The restaurants sector saw the next greatest effects, with $3 billion in economic output.