July Visitation Numbers for Natchez Trace Parkway are Released

Date: September 9, 2016
Contact: Maggie Walker, [phone]

HEADQUARTERS, TUPELO, MS: "During July 2016, the Natchez Trace Parkway experienced a slight decrease in the number of recreational visits over the 2015 figures," stated Superintendent Mary Risser. "This year, 525,501 visitors used the Parkway during June 2016 compared to 516,654 who were counted in 2015. These numbers continue to put the Natchez Trace Parkway on track to be among the top 10 most visited National Park Service sites." 

Month	2016	2015
January	464,284	470,262
February	435,680	414,844
March	491,630	484,650
April	514,979	509,178
May	493,427	486,175
June	525,501	516,654
July	541,406	542,031
Year to Date	3,466,907	3,423,794

"National parks are often touted as being our best idea," stated Risser, "and our public use visitation records seem to back up that statement. Public use records date back more than a century to 1904, when the national park idea was still new. In that first year, six national parks reported their visitation for a total of 149,954 visitors. In 2015, the National Park Service (NPS) received more than 300 million recreation visits for the first time in its history. In this record-setting year, 57 NPS units set a new record for annual recreation visits, and 11 units had more than 5 million recreation visits, including the Natchez Trace Parkway."

Two of the three states that the Parkway runs through experienced increases in visitation in 2015. Visitation to Tennessee's NPS units grew by 3.6 percent and Alabama grew by 5.2 percent, but Mississippi's numbers dropped 3 percent. "We speculate that this decrease in Mississippi's numbers may be due to the sesquicentennial celebrations at Civil War sites in 2014," stated Risser. "The Parkway's numbers were down 1 percent in each of the three states last year."

State	Recreational Visits
Tennessee	8,773,891
Alabama	792,477
Mississippi	6,359,646

The Natchez Trace Parkway has numerous recreational activities to match any interest or experience level. Whether camping, motorcycling, hiking, biking, boating, fishing, or horseback riding there are countless opportunities to experience the history, culture, and natural resources of the area.

To find out more about upcoming programs and general information about the Natchez Trace Parkway, please visit our website atwww.nps.gov/natr.

www.nps.gov

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 413 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more atwww.nps.gov.