Utah
Economic output of Utah’s national parks reaches $2.6B. Here’s how it compares to other states
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SALT LAKE CITY — Visitation to Utah’s national parks sparked a total economic output of about $2.6 billion in 2022, a slight increase from the previous year and the third-highest in the nation, according to a new report from the National Park Service.
The report, released earlier this week, shows the national parks system as a whole produced $50.3 billion in economic output nationwide last year, up about 25% from the $42.5 billion output in 2021, although researchers say some of that is because of inflation.
The annual peer-reviewed report examines visitation data for all national parks, monuments, recreation areas, national trails and historic parks overseen by the National Park Service, as well as other factors, including visitor survey data. The latter provides greater insight into where visitors are coming from, how long they are staying, how they are traveling and other spending details.
Researchers then add in economic factors from state and federal sources, which included record-high inflation last year.
After tabulating all the numbers, the report states that about 13.6 million visitors came to Utah’s “Mighty 5” national parks or 12 other national recreation locations last year. These visitors spent about $1.7 billion, which supported more than 23,000 jobs. Spending, labor income and the value of that income resulted in $2.6 billion in economic output.
Utah’s total national recreation visitation landed seventh overall in the U.S., behind the District of Columbia (39.4 million), California (38.2 million), Virginia (22.5 million), North Carolina (20 million), New York (16.8 million) and Florida (14.4 million).
However, Utah’s economic output exceeded most of those states and districts last year because its visitation generated more spending and more jobs. Only California ($4.5 billion) and North Carolina ($4 billion) flaunted larger economic outputs last year; Tennessee ($2.1 billion) and Virginia ($1.9 billion) round out the top five in this category behind the Beehive State.
“Every park in (Utah) offers unique experiences, from learning about history up close to diverse outdoor recreational opportunities. There’s something for everyone to see and enjoy,” Kate Hammond, director for the National Park Service’s Intermountain region, said in a statement Monday.
Utah’s 2022 figures represent a 3.4% increase in economic output despite an 8.4% drop in visitation from the 2021 report. Last year’s record inflation and high gas prices, especially during the summer when Utah’s parks are most visited, is a major reason for this.
The report acknowledges inflation is considered in spending and final output; however, researchers admit that their inflation estimate method is “likely conservative” compared to the “actual rate of inflation experienced” across the U.S. last year.
Meanwhile, the total U.S. economic output figure increased because visitation to the entire national park system also rose by 5% last year, resulting in a 17% jump in supported jobs. Visitation to national parks supported more than 375,000 jobs last year, the report adds.
The National Park Service’s findings follow preliminary data from the University of Utah Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute that suggests the entire tourism industry generated nearly $12 billion in 2022, supporting more than 150,000 statewide jobs and generating an estimated $2.12 billion in tax revenue. National parks are considered a major part of statewide outdoor tourism along with state parks and ski resorts.
Utah’s tourism industry leaders say there haven’t been any signs of it slowing down, either, especially as Salt Lake City International Airport travel and Salt Lake County hotel occupancy rates are now starting to reach pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.
“I think the outlook is optimistic,” Jennifer Leaver, a senior tourism analyst at the Gardner Policy Institute, said at an event held earlier this month. “I think people that forecast the tourism industry see this kind of strong and steady continual increase over time.”
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Welcome to the NHL On Tap, a daily look at the games on the NHL schedule. There is one game on the schedule for Sunday, which will be televised nationally in the United States and Canada.
Game of the day
Utah Hockey Club at Toronto Maple Leafs (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, TSN4, NHLN, Utah16)
Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares have all stepped up for the Maple Leafs (12-6-2) in the absence of captain Auston Matthews and look to continue the trend against Utah (8-9-3) at Scotiabank Arena. Marner has 12 points (four goals, eight assists), Nylander nine points (four goals, five assists) and Tavares eight points (four goals, four assists) in the seven games without Matthews, who is out with an upper-body injury. Toronto has won three in a row and is 6-1-0 without Matthews, who skated prior to practice Saturday and said he could return from an upper-body injury this upcoming week. Marner leads Toronto with 26 points (six goals, 20 assists) in 20 games and has points in six of the seven games Matthews has missed. Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Wall made 31 saves in a 3-0 win against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday for his first shutout of the season and second in the NHL. Utah is playing the second game of a back-to-back for the first time in team history and will look to build on a 6-1 win at the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. Dylan Guenther had two goals and an assist, and Clayton Keller had three assists, helping Utah end a three-game losing streak. Goalie Jaxson Stauber could make his Utah debut after being recalled from Tucson of the American Hockey League on Wednesday; the 25-year-old has not played an NHL game since Feb. 22, 2023, with the Chicago Blackhawks. No. 1 goalie Connor Ingram has missed the past two games with an upper-body injury.
It takes a complete football team to win a championship. Iowa State is finding that out with each passing week.
Seemingly left for dead in the heated Big 12 Conference race, the Cyclones now find themselves one win away from competing for the league title following a thrilling 31-28 victory over Utah Saturday night.
Iowa State (9-2, 7-2) reached the nine-win mark before a bowl game for the first time in program history, and could end one of the longest droughts in NCAA history by reaching 10 wins. The Cyclones and Vanderbilt are the only remaining Power 5 programs to never reach 10 wins, as Indiana did earlier this year.
After taking a 24-13 lead on Utah midway through the third quarter, the Cyclones needed a rally, scoring the game-winning touchdown with 91 seconds to go. The defense forced a missed field goal to seal the win.
Here are three stars from Iowa State’s win over Utah:
Known for his power running, Carson Hansen showed off his arm on a key third-down trick play that led to his second rushing touchdown. Hansen, a sophomore, took a halfback pass and found Gabe Burkle for a 26-yard completion.
That put the ball at the Utah 3 and Hansen would plow his way into the end zone on the next play for the game-winning points. He finished the night with a team-high 57 yards on 14 carries to go along with the 26-yard pass while also catching two balls for another 28 yards.
At 6-2 and over 220 pounds, Hansen is the thunder to Abu Sama’s lightning. He now has 11 rushing touchdowns on the year to go along with 560 yards after rushing for just 67 last season as a freshman.
Anytime Rocco Becht needed to make a big play in the passing game, he looked in the direction of Jayden Higgins. And Higgins stepped up for his quarterback, who was not quite as sharp as he typically has been.
Higgins finished with nine receptions for 155 yards and a touchdown, surpassing 1,000 yards for the season. The 6-foot-4 senior out of South Miami became just the seventh different Cyclone to reach the number after missing out last year with 983 yards.
With at least two, and maybe more, games to go, Higgins sits sixth on the school’s single-season list for yards with 1,015. Hakeem Butler is first with 1,318. Higgins and teammate Jaylin Noel, who has 976 yards, are set to become the first Cyclone teammates to eclipse 1,000 yards in the same season in school history.
Higgins is also just two yards away from becoming just the 10th Iowa State receiver to reach 2,000 career yards, joining the likes of Allen Lazard, Xavier Hutchinson and Charlie Kolar, along with Noel.
It’s been a difficult season in regards to injuries on both sides of the ball for Iowa State. But the defense has really been hurt with Malik Verdon out.
Verdon, a junior, recorded a team-leading 12 tackles including a sack, as the Cyclones held Utah to just 99 yards of total offense through three quarters.
And while the Utes were able to finally put together sustained drives in the fourth, when they needed to make a play, Iowa State did. Verdon went out for a short time after appearing to reinjure his arm that has a cast due to a hairline fracture, but would return to the field later in the fourth.
The Iowa State football team has two weeks to solidify themselves and possibly land a spot in the Big 12 championship game in December.
Part one of the two-piece series starts Saturday night, as the Cyclones (8-2, 5-2) make a visit to Salt Lake City to play Utah (4-6, 1-6).
Sitting a game behind co-conference leaders BYU and Colorado, Iowa State is in position but on the outside looking in for the time being. They also have red-hot Arizona State to contend with, as the Sun Devils have quickly climbed the standings and sit tied with ISU.
Utah has dropped six straight since starting the season off 4-0 as preseason favorites to win the Big 12. Of those six losses, four have been decided by eight points or less. Last Saturday, though, they suffered a 25-point setback to Colorado.
Along with several tough losses, the Utes have been without star quarterback Cam Rising since the losing skid began. Rising is out for the season following multiple injuries, as Isaac Wilson – the brother of NFL QB Zack Wilson – has replaced him.
Iowa State and Utah have a bit of a history, playing each other five times between 1970-2010. The Cyclones won the first four meetings between the two while the Utes won the most recent, claiming a 68-27 victory. Utah was undefeated and ranked 10th in the country during that encounter.
The oddsmakers have the Cyclones set as a 6.5-point favorite. ESPN’s FPI puts them at just over 63 percent to win the game.
Here are the details on how to watch, stream and follow Iowa State’s game at Utah on Saturday night:
Iowa State at Utah TV Channel, Live Stream, Odds
Who: Iowa State at Utah in a Big 12 football game
When: 6:30 p.m. CT | Saturday, November 23
Where: Rice-Eccles Stadium | Salt Lake City, Utah
Live Stream: Stream Iowa State-Cincinnati live on fuboTV (Start your free trial)
TV Channel: FOX
Betting Odds: Iowa State is favored by 6.5 points. Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportbook
Our Prediction: Iowa State 24, Utah 10
Live Updates, Highlights: Follow the game on Iowa State on SI for live updates, in-game analysis and big-play highlights throughout Saturday’s matchup.
* Latest betting odds for Iowa State
* Matt Campbell talks up the Utah defense
* Cyclones right back into contention in wild, wild Big 12
*Three stars in Iowa State’s win over Cincinnati including Stevo Klotz
*Complete game recap of Iowa State’s win over Cincinnati
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