Utah's National Parks brought nearly $700 million in 2011.

• Position: Around Utah

Utah--A new National Park Service report shows that nearly 9.3 million national park visitors in Utah in 2011 spent $698 million and supported 11,316 jobs in the state. Nationwide, visitors to the 398 units of the National Park System had a combined $30 billion economic benefit that supported 252,000 jobs. The Utah jobs figure is the nation's fourth highest after California, Arizona and North Carolina.

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"The national parks of Utah are exceptional and diverse places--from the red-rock grandeur of Canyonlands and Arches to the transcontinental history of Golden Spike. The attraction of these 13 natural and cultural jewels as havens for relaxation, exercise and learning about our national story is undeniable," says John Wessels, regional director for the Park Service's eight-state Intermountain Region, which includes Utah.

"The money that visitors spend on national park trips has positive effects on the local...