Visits to national parks declined by 9.1 million, or 3.3 percent, in 2013 compared with 2012, due in large part to the government shutdown that took place during the first 16 days of October, according to a report released by the National Park Service.
"The shutdown reduced our visitation for the year by 7.88 million visitors who were turned away during those two weeks," said NPS Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. "These closures had a real impact on local businesses and communities that rely on the national parks as important drivers for their local economies."
More than 273.6 million total visits were recorded during the year at the 401 parks, historic sites and recreation areas that make up the National Park System.
"From families creating once-in-a-lifetime vacation memories to school children exploring a national park in their own backyard, the National Park Service welcomed more than a quarter of a billion visitors last year," said NPS Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. "The national parks are the perfect place to be inspired by America's majestic beauty, retrace the steps of those who founded and formed our nation's history, or just relax and recharge with family and friends."
Despite the shutdown, some parks reported increases in visitation in 2013, including Gettysburg National Military Park and Vicksburg National Military Park, both of which were buoyed by large crowds and increased interest due to Civil War sesquicentennial events. Other parks saw reduced numbers due to extended weather-related closures, including Blue Ridge Parkway, which saw visitation fall by 2.5 million due in large part to storm damage and generally cold and wet conditions. In New York City, the lingering effects of Hurricane Sandy forced the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Castle Clinton to remain closed for part of the year.
The official number of recreational visits to national parks in 2013 was 273,630,895 which was 9.1 million less than 2012 total visitation, which was 282,765,682.
Last week, the National Park Service released a new report showing that visitors to national parks generated $26.75 billion in economic activity and supported 243,000 jobs in 2012. National parks across the country continue to contribute substantially to the nation's economy and to be important economic engines in their local communities.
Golden Gate National Recreation Area replaced the Blue Ridge Parkway as the most visited site in the National Park System.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park retained its top spot among the 59 sites formally designated as "national park," with 9.35 million visits in 2013. Grand Canyon National Park and Yosemite National Park retained their number two and three spots in the top 10. Glacier National Park in Montana moved into the number 10 spot.
Here are the top 10 most visited places in the National Park System:
Golden Gate National Recreation Area - 14,289,121 Blue Ridge Parkway - 12,877,368 Great Smoky Mountains National Park - 9,354,695 George Washington Memorial Parkway - 7,360,392 Lincoln Memorial - 6,546,518 Lake Mead National Recreation Area - 6,344,714 Gateway National Recreation Area - 6,191,246 Natchez Trace Parkway - 6,012,740 Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park - 4,941,367 Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area - 4,843,350
