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NPS/Willis
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Contact: Brent Everitt, 850-934-2600
Gulf Breeze, Fla. – The National Park Service welcomed more than 5.6 million visitors to America’s largest national seashore in 2019. The milestone represents the highest annual visitation in over 30 years. The park is now number 10 on the “Top Ten Most Visited National Park Service Sites,” coming in just below Grand Canyon National Park’s 5.97 million visitors in 2019.The park experienced about a 1.4 million increase over visitation in 2018. The increased visitation can be attributed to several factors including the overall increase in visitation to national parks in 2019, good weather throughout the recreational season, and better data tracking throughout the park including marine areas which represent 82% of the park’s area. In 2019, there were no weather-related closures.
“It is evident that visitors love what Gulf Islands National Seashore has to offer,” says Superintendent Dan Brown. “The park looks forward to continued protection of the park’s natural and historical wonders, while expanding facilities to create a place for visitors to enjoy for generations to come.” Visitation statistics provide the national seashore a reliable way to estimate trends in visitor use, which helps park management plan future operational decisions.
Visit https://www.nps.gov/subjects/socialscience/annual-visitation-highlights.htm to learn more about National Park Service visitation.
About Gulf Islands National Seashore: Created in 1971, the national seashore stretches 160 miles along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico in Florida and Mississippi, and includes barrier islands, maritime forests, historic forts, bayous, and marine habitat. Visit us at www.nps.gov/guis, on Facebook www.facebook.com/GulfIslandsNPS, Twitter www.twitter.com/GulfIslands_NPS, and Instagram www.Instagram.com/GulfIslandsNPS.
About the National Park Service: More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 419 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at www.nps.gov, on Facebook www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice and Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice.
-NPS-
Last updated: March 6, 2020