EMPIRE, MI - More than 1.5 million visitors to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore last year spent an estimated $163 million on food, lodging, gas and other items in communities near the Northern Michigan landmark, according to a new report from the National Park Service.
The tally of the park's 2015 financial impact showed the tourism spending supported 2,586 jobs in the area surrounding the park. Its overall benefit to the local economy? $205.8 million.
"Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore welcomes visitors from across the country and around the world," Acting Superintendent Tom Ulrich said in a news release. "We also feature the park as a way to introduce our visitors to this part of the country and all that it offers.
"National park tourism is a significant driver in the national economy, returning $10 for every $1 invested in the NPS, and it's a big factor in our local economy as well."
Overall, the analysis conducted by economists with the park service and the U.S. Geological Survey found $16.9 billion being spent by 307 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park.
The National Park Service this year marks its 100th anniversary, and some of its Michigan sites have announced special programming to celebrate the milestone.
Sleeping Bear Dunes, which will get a new superintendent this summer, is hosting a bevy of star parties and other sky events in the coming months. For information on the park, click here.
A little farther north, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is offering a hiking challenge with a special gift for those who log 50 or 100 miles on its trails.