Maine’s national park and monument added $750M to the economy last year

About 3.9 million people traveled to Maine’s national park and monument last year, and spent roughly $479 million while visiting.

Overall, visitation to Acadia National Park and Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument generated $752 million to the Maine economy last year, according to a new report from the U.S. Interior Department.

Visitor spending mostly benefited the state’s hotel and restaurant industries. National park tourism also trickled down to benefit other businesses that service the outdoor recreation economy, and generated more than $330 million last year.

Spending at both parks dipped slightly in 2023 compared with the previous two years, when Acadia visitation hit record highs in the wake of the pandemic.

More than 38,000 people visited Katahdin Woods and Waters last year. Spending has held relatively steady at the monument since the National Park Service began tracking it four years ago.

Together, both parks support more than 6,800 jobs in Maine.

This article appears through a media partnership with Maine Public .