NATCHITOCHES, LA – A new National Park Service (NPS) report for 2011 shows that the 26,996 visitors to Cane River Creole National Historical Park spent $1,429,000 in communities surrounding the park. This spending supported 21 jobs in the local area.
‘Cane River Creole National Historical Park is a wonderful place to learn about Louisiana history and its cultural complexities – Native American, Creole, French, African, Spanish and African American – and to understand plantation life in a culturally inclusive manner,’ said park superintendent Laura Gates. ‘We attract visitors from across the U.S. and around the world that come here to experience the park and then spend time and money enjoying the visitor services provided in Natchitoches and neighboring communities while getting to know this amazing part of the country.
The National Park Service is proud to have been entrusted with the care of America's most treasured places like Cane River Creole National Historical Park, and we are gratified that the visitors we welcome generate significant contributions to the local, state, and national economies.’
The information on Cane River Creole National Historical Park is part of a peer-reviewed spending analysis of national park visitors across the country conducted by Michigan State University for the National Park Service. For 2011, that report shows $13 billion of direct spending by 279 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. That visitor spending had a $30 billion impact on the entire U.S. economy and supported 252,000 jobs nationwide.
Most visitor spending supports jobs in lodging, food, and beverage service (63 percent) followed by recreation and entertainment (17 percent), other retail (11 percent), transportation and fuel (7 percent) and wholesale and manufacturing (2 percent.)
To download the report visit www.nature.nps.gov and click on Economic Benefits to Local Communities from National Park Visitation, 2011. The report includes information for visitor spending at individual parks and by state.
To learn more about national parks in Louisiana and how the National Park Service works with communities to preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide local recreation opportunities, go to www.nps.gov/Louisiana.
Cane River Creole National Historical Park's Oakland and Magnolia Plantations are open seven days a week from 8am-4pm, except on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.
Directions: To reach Oakland Plantation, take I-49 to Exit 127, Flora/Cypress. Head east on LA Highway 120 toward Cypress. Once you reach the LA Highway 1 intersection cross over LA Highway 1 onto LA Highway 494. The parking lot and entrance pavilion for Oakland are 4.5 miles east of Highway 1 on the left.
To reach the grounds of Magnolia Plantation, take I-49 to Exit 119, Derry. Head east on LA Highway 119. Cross over LA Highway 1 and proceed for two miles. The entrance for Magnolia Plantation will be on the right.
Article published by: Nathan Hatfield, Cane River Creole NHP