Ecotourism has increasingly been promoted as a sustainable development pathway for rural and natural research rich areas. This study assess how ecotourism impacts on the communities bordering Yankari Game Reserve of Bauchi state as ecotourism site, focusing on economic, socio-cultural and environmental dimensions. The research used mixed methods approach (household surveys of community residents, key informant interviews with local leaders and tourism operators, and direct observation). The research also explored the extent to which local residents benefit from employment, income generation and infrastructure improvements linked to the ecotourism, changes in community sociocultural dynamics – including participation, empowerment, cultural identity, perceptions of tourism ; environmental and resource-management consequences for the community and adjacent ecosystems. The findings indicate that ecotourism development yields meaningful economic benefits for some community members, particularly those directly engaged in tourist services and handicraft sales. Improvements in local infrastructure: roads, water supply, sanitation have also been observed. On the socio-cultural front, tourism has contributed to heightened community pride, increased cultural awareness and stronger conservation attitudes. Environmentally, ecotourism has catalysed improved waste and sanitation practices and boosted biodiversity awareness, but it has also placed pressure on limited natural resources, led to habitat disturbance and sometimes exacerbated human-wildlife conflicts. The study concludes that while ecotourism offers a viable route for local development and conservation synergy, its positive outcomes depend on active community participation, equitable benefit-sharing mechanisms, adequate infrastructure and institutional support. It recommends that policy and planning should emphasise inclusive governance, capacity building of host communities, monitoring of environmental impacts and mechanism to ensure that economic gains are widely distributed