A new report shows visitors and spending were up last year in national parks across New Mexico.
The analysis released Friday by the National Park Service shows more than 1.5 million people visited the state's 13 national parks in 2013, spending $83.2 million and supporting 1,136 jobs in the state.
Sue Masica, director of the Park Service's Intermountain Region, says 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 national parks include 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.
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