Economic Impact of Mountain Biking in the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests (NC)

Research

2017

Executive Summary

The Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests are an important American mountain biking destination. Mountain bikers visit the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests an estimated 435,000 times per year, with approximately 60% of those visits by residents of western North Carolina. Using data from an online survey of outdoor recreation enthusiasts to conduct an economic impact analysis, the research team finds:

1. Mountain biking visitors spend an estimated $30.2 million per year in and around the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests.
2. Mountain biker tourism supports the presence of 366 full-time jobs and $9 million in job income.
3. Western North Carolina residents also spend an additional $18 million as a result of mountain biking in the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests.

This study was conducted and supported by Maples Research Group, EKU, Outdoor Alliance, IMBA and SORBA, and published in August 2017.

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