The Cuyahoga Valley National Park does more than offer a place for respite and recreation to area residents and visitors. It's a significant economic driver for the region.

According to a recent National Park Service report, the nearly 2.5 million visitors to CVNP in 2016 spent nearly $70 million in communities near the park, with an overall impact of $87 million. The spending, in turn, supported more than 1,000 local jobs, the report stated.

"Cuyahoga Valley National Park welcomes visitors from across the country and around the world. ... National park tourism is a significant driver in the national economy, returning $10 for every $1 invested in the National Park Service, and it's a big factor in our local economy as well," said deputy superintendent Paul Stoehr in a news release.

The report, conducted by U.S. Geological Survey economists, shows $18.4 billion of direct spending by 331 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. That supported 318,000 jobs nationally, and the impact to the U.S. economy was $34.9 billion, the news release stated.

Most of the national visitor spending was for lodging (31.2%), followed by food and beverages (27.2%), gas and oil (11.7%), admissions and fees (10.2 %), and souvenirs and other expenses (9.7%).

The CVNP encompasses 33,000 acres along the Cuyahoga River between Cleveland and Akron.