Nearly $35 million brought into Mesa County from Colorado National Monument visitors

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KJCT) - Nearly half a million visitors made their way to the Colorado National Monument last year, bringing millions of dollars to the local economy according to the National Park Service.

The NPS reports $34.9 million was brought in by visitor spending. But it wasn’t just the National Park Service that was impacted by those dollars. According to NPS visitors put money in the economy through things such as hotels, gasoline, and restaurants among other things.

“We are really glad to be part of this community here,” said Arlene Jackson, chief of interpretation with the National Park Service. “We are happy to have this economic impact on the community where, whether it’s our visitors that also eat at the restaurants and go to the shops, or whether it’s our staff that runs to the grocery store for you know, groceries for the day.”

Jackson points to the Colorado National Monument’s beauty and simplicity as one of the reasons many people visit every year. Jackson said the park has something for everyone.

“I think that they’re just blown away by the beauty of this place,” said Jackson. “Being so close to an urban area, like Grand Junction, and yet being able to drive just a short distance and be in these beautiful canyons. It’s very, very quiet here.”

According to the NPS, the economic impacts also trickled down to other areas such as labor income, value added, and jobs as well. The NPS said 453 jobs were supported from the money coming in, with the majority of those jobs in the lodging sector. To see the National Park Service’s data on the economic impacts of visitor spending at the Colorado National Monument, or any other national park, please visit its website.