Arizona State Parks and Trails supported $555 million in statewide economic activity, according to a University of Arizona Cooperative Extension study released this month.
Despite receiving zero taxpayer funding to run its more than 30 parks, the agency supported $18 million in state tax revenues and another $14 million in county and local taxes. The report also found the parks supported more than $273 million in gross state product, $151 million in labor income and nearly 3,000 jobs across Arizona.
“It’s hard to overemphasize the value that Arizona State Parks and Trails brings to the residents of our state,” Bob Broscheid, executive director of Arizona State Parks and Trails, said in a release. “We have parks in all but two counties, and we have more than three million visitors per year. That means our parks significantly contribute to the economies in rural communities as well as larger cities like Flagstaff and Tucson.”
The study shows that total expenditures by non-local visitors, adjusted for inflation, have jumped roughly 24% since 2020, signaling higher overall spending across the state.
Of the $355 million spent directly by park visitors in 2025, the influx generated roughly $99 million in business-to-business activity and another $102 million in household-to-business transactions.
While the parks pull a steady crowd from outside Arizona boundaries, with 34% of visitors coming from out of state and 3% visiting internationally, the vast majority of parkgoers are Arizona residents.
The data marks the first major update since the last economic impact study was conducted in 2020. Over the last five years, overall park visitation dipped by 4%, signaling a return to normal, pre-pandemic baselines.
For Arizona’s smaller, rural communities, those visitors act as a crucial economic engine. The study notes that local economies rely heavily on parkgoers stopping at nearby grocery stores, restaurants, retail shops and gas stations.
The massive numbers follow a broader trend of outdoor recreation boosting the state. A 2024 Bureau of Economic Analysis study found that outdoor recreation across Arizona commands an annual economic impact of $15.4 billion and supports more than 118,000 jobs.
The full 2025 Arizona State Parks and Trails Economic Impact Study is available online.
