A recently published economic analysis shows White River National Forest attracts the most visitors and produces the greatest economic impact of any U.S. national forest. Based on pre-pandemic data from fiscal year 2019, the report attributes more than 12 million recreation visits per year to the Forest along with an annual economic impact of $1.59 billion.
The report credits the Colorado national forest with supporting 22,230 jobs and attributes 54% of visits — 6.6 million people per year — to the Forest’s 11 ski resorts, which include Aspen, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Keystone and Vail. All other forms of recreation accounted for 45% of visitors, and wildlife-related visits contributed 1%.
At 2.3 million acres, White River National Forest includes eight wilderness areas and four large reservoirs. The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, with 14 ski areas, 15,870 jobs, and an economic impact of $1.1 billion, ranks second.
