Local businesses benefit from record breaking park season

Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks both reported record-breaking seasons this last year.

Luckily, those record-breaking numbers trickled down into Idaho Falls- a major stopping point for visitors making their way to parks.

With easy access to the national parks from Idaho Falls, it’s not a big surprise.

“We’re the last stop over before they get there and [they’ll] pay $200-300 a night for a room, plus there’s a lot of great things to see here with our museum we have some really great restaurants as well,” said Bill Cossett Director of Operations and Sales at Keefer’s Island in the Shilo Inn.

However, many hotels in the area were turning guests away simply because they were booked.

Many restaurants also saw a boom in visitors because of the record-breaking season.

While the summer months are always a busy time for Idaho Falls, this season did create a higher demand for lodging and restaurants.