Gateway community
Gateway communities are cities or towns that lie just outside major tourist attractions such as national parks, wilderness areas, or nature resort areas. Examples of gateway communities in the US include Jackson, Wyoming; Tusayan, Arizona; and Gardiner, Montana.
These places provide services for guests of the adjacent attractions, such as gas, food, and lodging, and as a result rely upon these attractions to sustain their economy. Since they are neighbors, management actions taken by either the attraction or the community itself have direct impacts on one another. Shared social, economic and ecological impacts are some of the primary considerations. For example, increased seasonal tourist activity can put significant strain on the infrastructure of gateway communities.
Economically, while tourism can be a boon, it can also price locals out of the community. Land prices close to Yellowstone National Park increased by 330% in the 15 years between 1981 and 1996. Near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, many locals live in the more distant communities found in neighboring Idaho rather than in Jackson, WY.
Ecological implications including those of watershed management, fire management in urban and wildland contexts, and noise and air pollution are concerns common to gateway communities and their neighboring attractions. Because of this shared responsibility, managing agencies often form partnerships with local municipal authorities.
List of gateway communities
For national parks in USA
| National Park | Community |
| Acadia National Park | Bar Harbor, ME |
| Arches National Park | Moab, UT |
| Badlands National Park | Wall, SD |
| Big Bend National Park | Terlingua, TX |
| Biscayne National Park | Homestead, FL |
| Bryce Canyon National Park | Bryce Canyon City, UT |
| Dry Tortugas National Park | Key West, FL |
| Everglades National Park | Homestead, FL |
| Glacier National Park | Kalispell, MT |
| Grand Canyon National Park | Tusayan, AZ |
| Grand Canyon National Park | Williams, AZ |
| Grand Teton National Park | Jackson, WY |
| Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve | Alamosa, CO |
| Great Smoky Mountains National Park | Gatlinburg, TN |
| Great Smoky Mountains National Park | Pigeon Forge, TN |
| Great Smoky Mountains National Park | Cherokee, NC |
| Hot Springs National Park | Hot Springs, AR |
| Kenai Fjords National Park | Seward, AK |
| Mammoth Cave National Park | Cave City, KY |
| Olympic National Park | Port Angeles, WA |
| Rocky Mountain National Park | Estes Park, CO |
| Voyageurs National Park | International Falls, MN |
| White Sands National Park | Alamogordo, NM |
| Yellowstone National Park | Gardiner, MT |
| Yellowstone National Park | West Yellowstone, MT |
| Yellowstone National Park | Jackson, WY |
| Zion National Park | Springdale, UT |