SD National Parks Spending

A report says the 3.8 million visitors to national parks in South Dakota spent $165 million in communities near those parks in 2011.

The National Park Service report says spending by those visitors supported 2,651 jobs across South Dakota.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial Superintendent Cheryl Schreier says national parks in South Dakota attract visitors from across the nation and around the world. She says those visitors then spend time and money enjoying services provided by communities near the parks.

The national parks in South Dakota are Badlands National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, Missouri National Recreation River, Mount Rushmore National Memorial and Wind Cave National Park.