Big Visitor Bucks Boost Montana Economies

National parks and monuments boosted the economies of surrounding communities in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho by a combined $1.15 billion last year, according to a new study.

More than 2 million visitors were recorded at Glacier National Park in Northwest Montana, spending more than $178 million. That was nearly half of the $397.3 million spent in Montana by visitors to parks and monuments run by the National Park Service.

Wyoming saw $723.3 million in spending by visitors to national parks and monuments, while Idaho’s piece of the action was much smaller — $29.4 million.

These details were part of a nationwide report released Friday by the National Park Service. Spending on hotels, restaurants, gas and supplies by visitors to all U.S. national parks in 2013 contributed $14.6 billion in economic benefits to communities within 60 miles of the parks nationwide.

Wyoming, Idaho and Montana share parts of Yellowstone National Park, where visitors spent almost $382 million in nearby communities. Yellowstone had 3.18 million visitors in 2013.

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