Social Science

The Organic Act requires the National Park Service to provide for the enjoyment of current and future generations. Understanding relationships between people and parks is critical for protecting resources unimpaired and providing for public enjoyment. The Social Science Program (SSP) conducts and promotes state-of-the-art social science related to the mission of the NPS, delivering usable knowledge to park managers and the public.

A visitor looks over a landscape of rock formations at Canyonlands National Park

Visitor Use Statistics

Visits, Visitor Hours, & Overnight Stays

A pair of visitors look over blue waters at their camp site in Glen Canyon

Economics

Community Contributions & Valuation

A pair of visitors interact with a social science surveyor

Socioeconomic Monitoring

Demographics & Surveys

three people sit at the edge of a lake and enjoy the view

Annual Visitation Highlights

In 2022, the National Park Service received 312 million recreation visits, up 15 million visits (5%) from 2021.

Last updated: February 27, 2023

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