57 Outdoor Adventure Statistics

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These outdoor adventure figures cover the measurement periods and populations identified in the available source material. Estimates, surveys and forecasts retain their reported scope.

Key Outdoor Adventure Statistics

The main findings are:

  • 175.8 million Americans age 6 and older participated in outdoor recreation in 2023 (United States, age 6+).
  • Outdoor recreation generated $639.5 billion of U.S. value added in 2023.
  • Outdoor recreation employment increased 3.3% in 2023.
  • Conventional outdoor recreation accounted for 31.4% of outdoor recreation value added in 2023.
  • National parks recorded 325.5 million recreation visits in 2023 (400 reporting U.S. national parks).
  • Globally, 1 in 3 adults do not do enough physical activity (current global estimate on source page; World).
  • Outdoor recreation participation grew 4.1% from 2022 to 2023 (2022–2023; United States, age 6+).
  • Outdoor recreation represented 2.3% of U.S. GDP in 2023.
  • Outdoor recreation compensation increased 9.0% in 2023.
  • Other outdoor recreation accounted for 20.1% of value added in 2023.
  • National park recreation visits increased by 13 million, or 4%, from 2022 to 2023 (2022–2023; U.S. national parks).
  • Globally, 81% of adolescents do not do enough physical activity (current global estimate on source page; World).
  • There were 22.2 million more outdoor participants in 2023 than in 2019 (2019–2023; United States, age 6+).
  • Real outdoor recreation GDP increased 3.6% in 2023.
  • Outdoor recreation employment increased 7.4% in 2022.

Contents

Outdoor adventure participation statistics and recent growth

Outdoor Participation Trends Report estimate; participation is defined across tracked outdoor activities.

Year-over-year survey estimate.

Comparison uses the report’s participation series across survey years.

Self-reported first participation in the tracked activity set.

The release reports the threshold crossing but not a more precise percentage.

Race/ethnicity categories are report-defined and may not sum to exactly 100% because of rounding.

Report-defined race/ethnicity category; survey estimate.

Report-defined ethnicity category; survey estimate.

Outdoor recreation economy statistics and GDP contribution

BEA satellite-account estimate; value added is production less intermediate inputs.

BEA current-dollar share; measured by place of production rather than consumer residence.

Inflation-adjusted BEA estimate.

Inflation-adjusted BEA estimate from the updated time series.

Annual BEA estimate; pandemic rebound affects the comparison base.

Current-dollar BEA share, not a participation rate.

Superseded annual release; later revisions may change the level.

Current-dollar comparison affected by pandemic disruption and reopening.

Inflation-adjusted BEA estimate during COVID-19 restrictions.

State production allocation; not consumer spending by residents.

BEA state estimate.

Outdoor adventure jobs, compensation and industry composition

Counts full-time, part-time and temporary wage-and-salary jobs; excludes self-employed people.

Compensation includes wages, salaries and benefits for employees; excludes pay to self-employed people.

BEA job estimate; includes full- and part-time jobs.

BEA employee compensation measure.

BEA employment excludes self-employed individuals.

Employee compensation only; current dollars.

Historical BEA estimate; excludes self-employed individuals.

Difference and percentage are reported by BEA from the comparable table.

Industry-group contribution to outdoor recreation value added, not total industry GDP.

BEA industry-group measure; retail margins are used rather than gross sales.

BEA industry-group contribution.

Outdoor recreation activity and spending statistics

Conventional activities include activities such as bicycling, boating, hiking and hunting.

Other activities include examples such as gardening and outdoor concerts.

Supporting activities include construction, travel and tourism, local trips and government expenditures.

BEA activity estimate; combined boating/fishing category.

BEA activity estimate.

Combined BEA activity category.

BEA conventional-activity aggregate.

Current-dollar activity comparison; pandemic conditions affect the base year.

Current-dollar combined-activity comparison.

National park visitation and outdoor travel statistics

A recreation visit is an NPS visitor-use measure, not unique people; 400 parks reported in 2023.

NPS annual visitation comparison.

NPS recreation visits are not unique visitors.

The source attributes the low 2022 base partly to a historic flood closure.

Historical NPS recreation-visit count.

Park count and reporting coverage are administrative measures.

Outdoor adventure access, demographics and health context

  • Globally, 1 in 3 adults do not do enough physical activity (current global estimate on source page; World). (Physical activity)
  • Globally, 81% of adolescents do not do enough physical activity (current global estimate on source page; World). (Physical activity)
  • In some economically developing contexts, physical inactivity can reach 70% as transport, technology and sedentary behavior change (current global estimate on source page; Countries/contexts described by WHO). (Physical activity)
  • Regular physical activity is associated with an 8%–28% lower risk of several cancers (evidence summary on source page; Global evidence summary). (Physical activity)
  • Regular physical activity is associated with a 19% lower risk of heart disease and stroke (evidence summary on source page; Global evidence summary). (Physical activity)
  • Regular physical activity is associated with a 17% lower diabetes risk (evidence summary on source page; Global evidence summary). (Physical activity)
  • Regular physical activity is associated with a 28%–32% lower risk of depression and dementia (evidence summary on source page; Global evidence summary). (Physical activity)
  • WHO recommends adults complete at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week (current recommendation on source page; Adults globally). (Physical activity)
  • The outdoor participant base became more ethnically and racially diverse in 2023, while 69.7% remained White. (Outdoor Participation Hits Record Levels…)

WHO estimate concerns insufficient physical activity of all kinds, not outdoor recreation specifically.

WHO estimate is for overall physical activity, not outdoor adventure participation.

This is a WHO-described possible level, not a universal country statistic.

WHO summarizes associations/evidence for physical activity generally; it does not isolate outdoor adventure.

Applies to regular physical activity broadly, not a causal estimate for outdoor adventure alone.

WHO health summary; outdoor setting is not separately measured.

WHO summary concerns physical activity broadly and combines two outcomes in a range.

Guideline threshold, not an observed participation statistic and not specific to outdoor activity.

Trend wording is qualitative in the release; the percentage is a survey estimate.

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