a new National Park Service report says.
That means that state's 12 national parks and monuments created $552.1 million in economic benefit, and Rocky Mountain National Park created the lion's share, according to the report. Total spending at Colorado national parks increased about $44 million over last year.
“From Dinosaur National Monument to Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site, the national parks of Colorado draw more than 6 million visitors a year from across the country and around the world,” said Sue Masica, director of the NPS Intermountain Region, which includes Colorado and seven other states.
Here's how the numbers broke down by park in Colorado:
| Park Name | Non-local visits | Non-local visitor spending, in thousands | Jobs |
| Black Canyon Of The Gunnison NP | 172,137 | $10,810.5 | 148 |
| Great Sand Dunes NP&PRES | 256,651 | $15,563.6 | 232 |
| Mesa Verde NP | 491,165 | $49,857.0 | 739 |
| Rocky Mountain NP | 3,140,342 | $210,313.2 | 3,281 |
| Colorado NM | 391,230 | $24,976.6 | 381 |
| Dinosaur NM | 237,172 | $14,128.3 | 194 |
| Florissant Fossil Beds NM | 53,170 | $3,392.5 | 52 |
| Hovenweep NM | 25,174 | $1,599.8 | 23 |
| Yucca House | No data | No data | No data |
| Bent's Old Fort NHS | 24,555 | $1,377.1 | 21 |
| Sand Creek Massacre NHS | 7,402 | $415.2 | 7 |
| Curecanti NRA | 931,368 | $38,728.6 | 522 |
The report acknowledges that some visitors don't come to a region specifically for a park, so not all of their spending can be attributed to the NPS.
