Although national park visitation started slow in 2007, national parks proved a good magnet for visitors in the summer months and the 9-month report now shows a 1.3% increase over the comparable period of 2006. As the NPS report indicates, the trends differ from region to region and by type of park. But high gas prices do not appear to be a strong deterrent. One other consideration is that international visitation is up significantly for 2007 -- in part reflecting a bargain with the current valuation of the US dollar against many other currencies, including the Canadian dollar. Unfortunately, NPS data does not allow much analysis of visitor orgin and other key characteristics.

For the full report, go to: National Park Service January - September 2007 Visitation Report