News Release
Subscribe
 |
What is RSS
|
Contact: Lauren Blacik, 507-825-5464 Ext. 211
National Park Service visitation tops 318 million nationwide in 2018
Pipestone, MN: Visitation to America’s national parks in 2018 exceeded 300 million recreation visits for the fourth consecutive year. The 318.2 million recreation visits total is the third highest since record keeping began in 1904.
“America’s national parks are national treasures that tell the story of our nation and celebrate its beauty, history and culture,” said Acting Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt. “I am pleased that so many Americans and visitors from around the world continue to take advantage of the affordable and accessible recreational opportunities provided by these sites.”
“The visitation to our national parks continues to affirm that Americans are in love with their public lands and hold dear the stories of our nation embodied in the natural, cultural and historic landscapes we protect in the National Park System,” National Park Service Deputy Director Dan Smith said.
The 419 national parks throughout the country provide a vast array of opportunities for recreation and inspiration for visitors of all ages. With at least one located in every state, national parks are easily accessible and affordable destinations. For an in-depth look at 2018 visitation, including individual park figures, please visit the NPS Social Science.
Locally, Pipestone National Monument welcomed 73,267 visitors in 2018. Visitation at the monument has remained fairly steady over the last ten years. Pipestone became Minnesota’s first national park unit in 1937 and reported 2,785 visitors in 1941, the first year statistics were recorded.
To learn more about the National Park Service and Pipestone National Monument, visit the park’s web site at www.nps.gov/pipe or to learn more about the fee-free weekends in national parks around the country, go to http://www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm. Contact a Park Ranger at 507-825-5464 ext. 214 or email at e-mail us
www.nps.gov
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, Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice, and YouTube www.youtube.com/nationalparkservice.
Last updated: April 4, 2019