SHILOH, Tenn. — One of our local national parks recently released information about its economic impact on the area.
In a press release issued Wednesday morning, Shiloh National Military Park released data showing the number of visitors and the amount of money spent in the local community.
According to a National Park Service report, 372,000 visitors came to Shiloh National Military Park in 2023. These visitors spent $24.9 million in the community surrounding the park. This spending supported 347 jobs and generated a cumulative benefit of $29.7 million.
“They run the numbers on what the community is getting from visitors to the park, and the park really drives this part of the economy in this area,” Shiloh Park Ranger Chris Mekow said.
Mekow told us what’s so special about Shiloh National Park and why so many people make the effort to visit it every year.
“If you take the trouble to get to a remote place like Shiloh, you’re going to have to spend a lot of time really appreciating the place. You can’t just come for a few hours and leave,” Mekow said.
Nationwide, 325.5 million visitors spent $26.4 billion in communities near national parks, according to the service report, spending that created more than 415,000 jobs and boosted the nation’s economy by $55.6 billion.
The volunteer-heavy state ranks sixth among all states in visitor spending. For more information about the park, here.
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