Updated August 20, 2025 04:24PM
Outdoor Recreation Was More Popular Than Ever in 2024, Report Finds
More than half of people in the U.S. recreated outdoors in 2024 according to a new report from the Outdoor Industry Association, with Black and Hispanic participants driving the biggest gains.
Hikers on mountain (Photo: Thomas Barwick via Getty)
Americans got out more—and more often—in 2024, according to a newly-released report from the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), an industry trade association that specializes in outdoor research, advocacy and sustainability, According to the group’s annual Outdoor Participation Trends Report, last year outdoor recreation participation grew by 3 percent despite signs of a weakening economy and steep cuts to the National Park Service, Forest Service, and other agencies responsible for managing U.S. public lands. A record-high 58.6 percent of Americans ventured outside, with a total of 181.1 million people picked up a pack, tied on running shoes, or participated in another outdoor activity last year.
Some of the most significant growth trends were led by Black (+12.8 percent) and Hispanic (+11.8 percent) Americans. Athough the demographic makeup of the outdoors is still not as diverse as America’s overall population, recent trends suggest that gap is closing. Seniors citizens and kids ages 6 to 12 also saw increases in participation by 7.4 and 5.6 percent respectively. Households with kids saw a 66 percent participation rate – the highest on record.
“Nearly every signal in the 2024 participation data is positive for prolonged growth,” the OIA wrote in its report. “Despite weakening
economic conditions, the prospect of growth in the number of Americans who participate in outdoor recreation is very strong.”
One big winner? Hiking. About 63 million people went hiking last year, making it the most popular outdoor activity the OIA measures, a growth of about 5 million participants in four years. That’s not unusual: With its accessibility and the low cost of entry, hiking perennially takes first place in the survey. It’s also a significant gateway activity to the outdoors, with 85% of hikers participating in at least one other outdoor activity last year.
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The number of “core” outdoor users—the most frequent hiker, runners, bikers, and boaters that the OIA measures—went up to an estimated 5 million as well, the first time that measure has increased in a decade. Over the past ten years, the number of people going outdoors has steadily increased even as outings per person have dropped. This year’s report suggests that trend could be flattening or even reversing.
