News Release
Date: March 15, 2019
Contact: Peter Christian
Anchorage, AK – Visitation to national parks in Alaska exceeded 2.9 million recreation visits for 2018, the highest number of visits ever recorded. Visitation to national parks nationwide exceeded 300 million visits for the fourth consecutive year.
“Alaska has some of the most extraordinary landscapes in all of North America, and visitor's come for a once in a life time experience,” said Alaska Regional Director, Bert Frost. “With 2.9 million visits in 2018, it is clear that national park areas continue to be an important economic driver for the state.”
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park saw the largest increase hosting over 100,000 more visits in 2018 than the prior year. Kenai Fjords National Park also saw a large increase in visitation. In all, ten park units in Alaska experienced an increase in visitation.
Later this spring, the National Park Service will issue its annual economic benefits report detailing the cumulative benefit visitor spending had on the state economy in 2018. For an in depth look at 2018 visitation including individual park figures, please visit the NPS Social Science website.
www.nps.gov/AK
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Last updated: March 15, 2019