The Economic Impact of Rock Climbing in Bishop, California

Abstract

This study examined the economic impact of rock climbing in Bishop, California. Bishop is a popular climbing and bouldering destination located in Inyo County. The authors estimated Bishop receives 88,890 climbing-related visits annually alongside $15.6 million in climbing community expenditures. However, the authors estimate that visitation was reduced by 65% from 2019 to 2020 due to pandemic travel closures and reluctance to travel. This equates to roughly $10 million dollars in lost expenditures.