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LAKE HAVASU CITY — Lake Havasu State Park was the most-visited site among the more than 30 facilities in the Arizona state parks system in 2020.
That's according to analysis commissioned by Arizona State Parks and Trails in collaboration with the University of Arizona's Regional Economic Analysis Program.
Statewide, the state parks generated an estimated $332 million. That analysis showed that Lake Havasu State Park drew 533,757 visits and was responsible for $72.2 million in spending.
“Arizona's state parks are second to none,” Gov. Doug Ducey said in response to the release of the data last week. “In addition to their unbeatable views, recreational activities and family-friendly opportunities, they have a significant impact on our state economy. People from all across the globe visit Arizona to enjoy our state parks, resulting in increased economic activity and more jobs for Arizonans.”
That boost to the economy is in addition to the millions generated by visitors at the state's federal parks.
More than 8 million people are estimated to have visited the Lake Mead National Recreation Area last year.
The Lake Mead NRA, the fifth-most visited park in the country last year, includes Lake Mead and Lake Mohave, which straddles the Nevada-Arizona state line.
Arizona also benefits economically from Grand Canyon National Park, which had an estimated 2.9 million visitors last year, according to the National Park Service.
Together, the parks provide a huge impact on the state's economy, especially within nearby communities.
The state parks study presented county-level economic impact for 13 of Arizona's 15 counties; Maricopa and Greenlee counties currently have no parks in the state park system.
According to the analysis, state parks generated $449 million in sales — $332 million from visitor spending — and supported 4,173 jobs.
Mohave County, buoyed by Lake Havasu State Park, led all counties in economic impact from state parks, according to the analysis, with about $83 million in sales.
Another $10.7 million was generated at Cattail Cove State Park, which also is on the shores of Lake Havasu. Cattail Park had an estimated 118,556 visitors in 2020.
Both parks were open year-round.
The analysis was based on completed surveys from park visitors. The survey asked about spending on such items as entrance fees, camping fees, lodging, groceries, meals, retail shopping, gas and other automobile or transportation expenses and miscellaneous spending.
The "multiplier effect" is a common economic impact calculator, especially in the hospitality and tourism industry. It calculates original spending and what that spending produces when infused into the local economy.
For example, when someone spends money for goods and services, a portion of that goes to employees in the form of wages and tips.
A portion of that money, in turn, is used by employees for living expenses and additional purchases, generating additional spending.
In the case of the state park analysis, direct spending is money spent by visitors directly for goods and services; indirect effect is money spent by vendors and businesses for purchases to provide those goods and services, such as supplies, payroll and other costs to sustain their operation; induced effect is money spent by members of the labor force produced by the direct and indirect spending.
"State parks attract visitors, often from outside the local area, that spend money on such things as lodging, meals and incidental expenditures," the report's executive summary said. "This spending is important to local economies, supporting businesses and jobs, and creating additional rounds of spending in the local economy known as economic multiplier effects.
"Spending by non-local visitors, attracted to state parks from outside the local area, represents net new money circulating in the local economy and therefore is considered economic impact."
During the COVID-19 crisis, Ducey named Arizona State Parks as an essential state service and helped keep the parks open for people to recreate and enjoy the outdoors in a safe, healthy way.
The study shows that in 2020, people spent more time in parks as compared to the pre-pandemic baseline.
Arizona State Parks and Trails ran a contest in early 2021, asking visitors to write about how the parks helped them during the pandemic.
The responses indicated that more people got outside to explore, escape, and be healthy and were grateful for the many opportunities at parks throughout the state.
Lake Havasu State Park, acquired by the Arizona State Parks System in 1965, is about 928 acres of property owned or leased by the state, providing lake access and water-related recreational opportunities such as boating, fishing and swimming in addition to hiking, camping and other lakeshore activities.
The park has three boat ramps, 47 campsites, a special events area, a picnic area, a beach area and a 1.75-mile Mohave Sunset Trail.
Also a popular attraction at the park is the Arroyo-Camino Interpretive Garden, a collection of natural plant life that supports native and non-native wildlife.
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