An economic study conducted by the National Park Service and the U.S. Geological Survey analyzed consumer spending of national park visitors in 2020. The study found that the Buffalo National River saw over 1.5 million visitors in 2020, supporting 960 jobs in nearby communities and benefitting their economies by $76.1 million.

The authors of the report also created an interactive tool to look at the economic impact of national parks tourism across the country over several years.

Read the full story on the Newton County Times website here.