The Grand Canyon played a big part in a record-breaking year for America's parks, the National Park Service announced last month.
A whopping 292.8 million people visited national parks, monuments and recreation areas in 2014, breaking the previous record of 287.2 million visitors set in 1987. Those visits supported 250,000 jobs and generated a $28 billion impact on the economy, the Park Service said.
It's no surprise that Grand Canyon National Park, as usual, was Arizona's most-visited national park. But the Seventh Natural Wonder made the national Top 10 list this year, coming in 10th with 4.76 million visitors. That's the second-most in the park's history, and it's just short of the record 4.79 million who visited the Canyon in 1997.
When only national parks (not monuments, recreation areas and other sites) are included, the Grand Canyon ranked second nationally in 2014, behind only Great Smoky Mountains National Park's 10.1 million visitors.
Lake Mead National Recreation Area's 1.74 million visitors put it in a distant second place among Arizona sites. Petrified Forest National Park was third, followed by Canyon de Chelly National Monument.
Among all NPS sites, Golden Gate National Recreation Area took the top spot with 15 million visitors.
Photo: Ken Sanger | Grand Canyon