United States, 2026
Current U.S. outdoor recreation participation, youth, visitation, and economic statistics, with sources for every figure.
Last updated September 17, 2026
This reference collects current, citable figures on outdoor participation, young people, national park visitation, physical activity, and the outdoor economy. Each figure links to the organization that published it.
183.2M
That is 59% of the U.S. population age 6 and older, the highest participation level recorded in the annual report.
SourceOutdoor Industry Association, 2026 Outdoor Participation Trends Report, Published 2026, reporting 2025 activity22.6M
Participation in this age group rose 5% from the prior year, according to the Outdoor Industry Association.
SourceOutdoor Industry Association, 2026 Outdoor Participation Trends Report, Published 2026, reporting 2025 activity2 in 3
The participation trend points to a broad family audience for accessible, well-planned time outside.
SourceOutdoor Industry Association, 2026 Outdoor Participation Trends Report, Published 2026, reporting 2025 activity53.4%
The report identifies this as a record participation rate among women.
SourceOutdoor Industry Association, 2026 Outdoor Participation Trends Report, Published 2026, reporting 2025 activity5 fewer
Participation has expanded, while the average frequency of outings has fallen compared with the pre-pandemic baseline.
SourceOutdoor Industry Association, 2026 Outdoor Participation Trends Report, Published 2026, comparing 2025 with 2019$696.7B
Outdoor recreation accounted for 2.4% of current-dollar U.S. gross domestic product, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
SourceU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Outdoor Recreation Economic Statistics, Released March 5, 2026, reporting 2024 activity323M
Visitors also recorded 1.39 billion recreation hours across the National Park System that year.
SourceNational Park Service, 2025 Visitation At-A-Glance, Published March 2026, reporting 2025 activity1 in 5
Federal guidance recommends that children and adolescents ages 6-17 get at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity each day.
SourceU.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Healthy People 2030, Current federal data and 2018 Physical Activity GuidelinesMethodology & Sources
Figures are reported as published by the cited organization. Participation data comes from the Outdoor Industry Association's 2026 report, which describes outdoor activity in 2025. Economic data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis for 2024. National Park Service figures cover calendar year 2025.
This page is reviewed regularly. When a source publishes newer data, the existing statistic and its source date are updated while the citation anchors remain in place.
Powell Adventures, LLC. "Outdoor Recreation Statistics: U.S. Participation, Youth, and Economic Data." Updated September 17, 2026. https://powelladventures.org/outdoor-recreation-statistics
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