Visits to national parks are up
Albuquerque Journal
July 22, 2014

http://www.abqjournal.com/433170/news/briefing-92.html

A federal report shows visitors and spending were up last year in national parks and monuments across New Mexico.

The analysis released Friday by the National Park Service shows that in 2013, more than 1.5 million people visited the 13 national parks and monuments in New Mexico. The visitors spent $83.2 million and supported 1,136 jobs in the state, according to the analysis.

Sue Masica, director of the park service’s Intermountain Region, said the report confirms that national park tourism is a significant driver in the national economy, returning $10 for every $1 invested in the National Park Service.

New Mexico’s 13 parks administered by the National Park Service are Carlsbad Caverns National Park; Aztec Ruins, Bandelier, Capulin Volcano, El Malpais, El Morro, Fort Union, Gila Cliff Dwellings, Petroglyph, Salinas Pueblo Missions and White Sands national monuments; and Chaco Culture and Pecos national historical parks.