COVID-19 inspired participation growth as the outdoors became a place to recreate, safely socialize, improve physical and mental health, connect with family, and recover from screen fatigue. 

According to a report produced by the Outdoor Foundation*, “in 2020, 53 percent of Americans ages 6 and older participated in outdoor recreation at least once, the highest participation rate on record, with 7.1 million more Americans participating in outdoor recreation in 2020 than in the year prior.”

“Earlier this year, we saw promising research about new participants in the outdoors with more people finding solace in outdoor activities, especially amid the pandemic,” said Lise Aangeenbrug, executive director of OIA. “Our broader research shows us that while we are seeing millions more people getting outside this year, we must take action to help them establish a life-long relationship with the outdoors; otherwise, we will continue to see an overall decline in participation rates in the next year with people returning to an indoor routine.”

Additional findings in the report include: 

  • About one-quarter of new participants said they don’t want to continue their new outdoor activities—a number that could grow as consumers return to pre-pandemic habits.
  • There were fewer of the more devoted outdoor participants and more casual participation. A decade ago, 24 percent reported participating more than twice a week, while in 2020, just 20 percent did. The same pattern occurred among children, young adults and adults.
  • The average number of outings per participant continued a steady, long-term decline, falling from 87 in 2012 to 71 in 2020.
  • For the last eight years, females have represented 46 percent of outdoor participants, even though 51 percent of Americans are female.
  • Nearly 75 percent of outdoor participants were White. Participation rates declined 7 percent annually among Asians for the past three years, stagnated for the last three years among Blacks and grew among Hispanics but remained below White participation levels.

*The Outdoor Foundation has developed the Outdoor Participation Trends Report for 14 years. The annual report examines the demographics of the outdoor participant, defined as someone who participated in an outdoor activity at least one time in the past year. The survey reflects data gathered during the 2020 calendar year and garnered a total of 20,069 online interviews for ages six and older. To read the full report, go here.  

Photo courtesy Outdoor Foundation