Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1938-08-06
Yellowstone Park Visitors
to Leave Millions in State

This summers visitors to Yellowstone
national park are expected to leave in
the vicinity of $11 .O00. 900 IN states I'M
mediately adjacent to the park, accord
ing to estimates based on Montana and
Wyoming travel records for 1887.
They viii spend about $4,000 600 for
meals and lodging, almost So ,O00, 900 for
gasoline, more than 500, 200 for Oil
and win enrich state treasures with
about 100000 in gasoline tax funds.
The remainder win go to souvenirs,
clothing and miscellaneous purchases
The Wyoming state department Of
commerce and industry reports that
tourists left $14,000,O00 in the state in
1887. OF this total approximately s4,-
100000 came out Of the pockets OF
parties aiming for Yellowstone.
More than $4,000, 900 were deposited
In Montana by motorists, the highway
department reports. Although no break
down Is given showing the amount left
by Yellowstone bound parties, approx
mately so percent Of the parks travel
enters through the three Montana gate
ways From this fact and from the fact
that the Montana tourist total Is nearly
double that Of Wyoming, park authori-
ties assume that tourist parties enter
ing through Montana enriched the
Golfers of Montana business men by
between six and seven million.
That the 1887 total win be very near
ly equalleo in 1888 is the belief of the
Yellowstone superintendent office. The
park travel showed q decrease of only
10 percent in visitor registrations
through July This in face of I'M
favorable weather conditions during
June.
The s11.OO0.OOO total expected to be
left in Wyoming and Montana by Vel
lowstone visitors is only small part
of that which viii be left by park
bound visitors IN more distant states,
the superintendent believes.
OF the first 10 states in the number
of auto registrations at the checking
stations on June 80, only three were in
the immediate vicinity Of the park
Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. Califor- |
mia license plates led the field, Montana
was second, and following IN that order
were Wyoming, Illinois, Washington,
Idaho. Minnesota, Utah, Colorado and
Wisconsin. Ohio, Michigan, Iowa and
New York followed closely.
The tremendous spread of the Cali
fornia tourist dollar may be learned 1
from the fact that California registra- /
tons were at the top at the parks
west and south gates, third at the /
north and west stations, and fourth at /
the northeast entrance.
That tourist money Is left from OUT
side continental United States may be
noted from the fact that automobiles
had registered this year from Hawaii,
Canal Zone, Philippines and Puerto
Rico OF the United States possessions;
and from Australia, Brazil, Canada,
Cuba, Dutch West Indies, England,
Germany, Holland, Mexico, Panama,
South Africa and Switzerland.
Included IN the continental United
States registrations are all 40 states,
the District Of Columbia, and the ter
ritory Of Alaska.
Expenditures by states are expected
to follow quite closely the pattern es-
tablished IN Wyoming in 1887, which
reported Californians leaving $3.50, 900
in that state TO lead the As. Illinois
was second with $4,000 and Utah
third with $3.50, 900. Also near the top
were Washington, Minnesota, Wyoming,
Colorado, Iowa, Michigan and Ohio,
IN that order.
The Montana highway department
found that 3.14 persons travelled In
each auto, that the average stay in the
state was 1854 days, that each person
spent $5.77 for each day In the state,
and the average car Travelled l46 miles
per day.
Yellowstone ranked fourth among all
national parks in the total number of
visitors last year, being exceeded by
Great Smoky, and Rocky
Mountain. each nearer centers of pop (
ulation. The first two also had the
advantage of being open throughout !
The year, whereas Yellowstone's season s
Is limited by heavy snowfall which {
blocks roads for almost half the year.
A recent survey indicated that Yellow
stone was the first ranking scenic spot
N the minds Of motorists planning S
heir vacations.