News Release
NPS Photo/ Chad Steed
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Contact: Christopher Derman, 423-569-9778
WARTBURG, Tennessee: A new National Park Service report shows that 262,000 visitors came to Obed Wild & Scenic River in 2024 spent $5.5 million in communities near the park. That spending supported the local area.
“People come to Obed Wild & Scenic River for many reasons during every season and end up supporting the US and local economies along the way,” said Superintendent Niki Stephanie Nicholas. “We’re proud that Obed supports and generates $5.5 million in revenue to communities near the park.”
The National Park Service report, 2024 National Park Visitor Spending Effects, finds that visitors spent $29 billion in communities near national parks. This spending provided $18.8 billion in labor income and $56.3 in economic output to the U.S. economy. The lodging sector had the highest direct contributions with $11.1 billion in economic output. Restaurants received the next greatest direct contributions with $5.7 billion in economic output.
An interactive tool is available to explore visitor spending, labor income, and total economic contribution by sector for national, state and local economies. Users can also view year-by-year trend data. The interactive tool and report are available on the NPS website.
To learn more about national parks in Tennessee and how the National Park Service works with Tennessee communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to Tennessee (U.S. National Park Service).
www.nps.gov
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 430+ national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, X(Twitter), and YouTube.
Last updated: October 1, 2025