GILLETTE (WNE) — Devils Tower National Monument had a record-breaking year in terms of visitors in 2021, and that translated into an increase in local revenue.

Visitors to Devils Tower spent nearly $40 million in the region in 2021.

According to a study done by the National Parks Service and the U.S. Geological Survey, 550,712 park visitors spent an estimated $39.4 million in local gateway economies while visiting Devils Tower National Monument.

Those dollars supported 522 jobs and a payroll of $15.7 million, and it led to $51.3 million in economic output.

The spending and output for Devils Tower in 2021 far outpaced any year in the last decade, which peaked in 2016 with $31.6 million spent and $39.6 million in economic output.

The same analysis found that national parks in Wyoming last year attracted 8.59 million visitors who spent $1.14 billion in the state.

Before 2021, Devils Tower had never seen more than half a million visitors in one year, although it came close in 2017, with 499,031.

So far this year, the pace is a bit behind last year’s. Through May, nearly 69,000 visitors have come to the park, which is 10,000 fewer people than in 2021. In May, 41,847 visitors were reported in May, about 7% fewer than May 2021, which had 44,850 visitors.