How Much Money Do Montana National Parks Generate?

Montana’s tourism industry is a huge part of our economy, and there’s no question that our national parks play a big role in bringing visitors and their money into the state.

Exploring Glacier and Yellowstone: Montana’s Natural Treasures

Montana has two national parks, although we have to share Yellowstone with Wyoming and Idaho. Then there’s Glacier National Park, which is entirely within Montana.

According to USAFacts.org, visitors to national parks across the country spent a record amount of money in 2024.

About 332 million people visited national parks in the United States, spending an estimated $29 billion on things like lodging, restaurants, recreation, gas, transportation, retail, groceries, and camping.

So how much of that money is being spent in Montana?

Quite a bit.

Visitor Impact: Millions Flock to Glacier National Park

In 2024, a little over 3.2 million people visited Glacier National Park, spending more than $457 million in the surrounding economy, according to the National Park Service.

Glacier didn't crack the top 10 national parks when it came to total visitor spending, but Yellowstone did.

Yellowstone’s Economic Contribution: A Gateway to Prosperity

Yellowstone National Park ranked seventh in the country, with about 4.7 million visitors generating approximately $709 million in visitor spending in the park's surrounding gateway economy in 2024.

Of course, Yellowstone is a little different for Montana because the park stretches across Montana, Wyoming, and a tiny bit of Idaho. Still, there's no question that all those visitors have an economic impact on Montana communities, particularly those that provide lodging, restaurants, gas, retail, and other services to people traveling through the area.

Beyond the Parks: How Tourism Affects Montana Communities

Yellowstone and Glacier aren't the only places benefiting from Montana's tourism industry. People coming to visit our national parks often spend money before they even reach the park and after they leave.

For some perspective, Great Smoky Mountains National Park was the biggest national park in the country when it came to visitor spending in 2024, with about 12.19 million visitors generating more than $2 billion in economic activity.

Montana doesn't have those kinds of visitor numbers, but $457 million from Glacier and $709 million associated with Yellowstone is still a pretty significant amount of money flowing into our part of the country.

Those are 2024 numbers.