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The U.S. Department of the Interior reports 285 million visitors to the National Park System in 2009, up 3.9%, or more than 10 million more visits than in 2008.

“People both here and abroad know that our national parks are America’s best idea, even during an economic downturn,” Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said in a statement. “Our national parks are treasures that tell the story of our country and celebrate its beauty and culture, and they provide vacation bargains for families living on a tight budget. They offer priceless opportunities to inspire adults and children alike with our wonderful natural, cultural and historic heritage.”



The record for annual visits was 287.2 million in 1987.



Possible reasons for the increase in visitation include three weekends last summer when the Park Service waived entrance fees, the visits by President Obama and his family to Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon, the publicity generated by Ken Burns’ documentary on the history of the national parks, a decline in gasoline prices, and the continued strong exchange rate the Euro enjoys against the dollar.



A recent study indicates that the National Park System supports more than 223,000 jobs and nearly $14 billion in economic activity across the country.



The top 10 most visited national parks were:
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 9,491,437 visitors
• Grand Canyon National Park, 4,348,068
• Yosemite National Park, 3,737,472
• Yellowstone National Park, 3,295,187
• Olympic National Park, 3,276,459
• Rocky Mountain National Park, 2,822,325
• Zion National Park, 2,735,402
• Cuyahoga Valley National Park, 2,589,288
• Grand Teton National Park, 2,580,081
• Acadia National Park, 2,227,698