Nevada State Parks wants visitor feedback to help inform future decisions
Extension to help conduct survey project to assess needs and economic impact of parks
Molly Malloy

Valley of Fire is Nevada’s oldest and largest state park, dedicated in 1935. Photo by Nevada State Parks.
When visitors enjoy Nevada’s 27 state parks this summer, administrators want to hear from them – what they enjoyed about the park they visited, and what could be improved. They also want to know the economic impact the parks are having on Nevada’s communities. The money people spend as a result of recreating in the state’s parks often gets overlooked when looking at the state’s economy. To help gather input from visitors and measure the economic impact of the parks, Nevada State Parks has contracted with Extension’s Community and Economic Development Program.
The Extension program has developed and piloted a survey that will gather information from visitors to prioritize park needs and future parks projects, as well as measure the parks’ economic impact on the state. The full launch of the surveys will begin in all 27 state parks in July, and will continue for 18 months. Visitors who complete the survey will be entered into a quarterly drawing to win an all-access annual parks pass, which is valued at $250.
Extension worked with Nevada State Parks to identify the type of information that would be beneficial to collect to help make informed decisions in the future, created a survey tool using this input, and then trained State Parks staff to administer the surveys. For the duration of the surveying period, Extension’s Community and Economic Development team will provide an ongoing analysis of the data collected. At the conclusion of the survey period, Extension will provide a complete analysis and report.