While the outdoor economy is still growing, it’s going a bit slower than in previous years.
Make no mistake: outdoor recreation is mega-popular in the U.S. and continues to expand. Unadjusted for inflation, the outdoor industry represented $696.7 billion of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024, according to data released last week by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. In raw dollars, that’s $1.3 trillion in economic output from spending on the most popular outdoor activities, including boating, RVing, and hunting.
However, the industry grew by only 2.7% compared to 2023, when the industry saw a 5.3% increase. Perhaps more importantly, 2024’s numbers mark the first time since 2020 that the BEA report showed growth in outdoor recreation, lagging behind the U.S. economy as a whole (2.7% versus 2.8%). It’s a significant milestone after the surge of outdoors trips during and after the pandemic.
At the same time, there’s clearly more interest than ever in exploring America’s outdoor places. In fact, 2024 also coincided with record visitation to our national parks. But to maintain economic momentum, the federal government needs to take action, said Jess Turner, president of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR), an advocacy group for the outdoor industry.
“Growth has slowed. Americans continue to get outside in record numbers, yet purchasing has slowed,” Turner said in a statement. “To keep this economic sector strong in 2026, we need action: invest in access, reduce friction in supply chains and permitting with stable business environments, and pass commonsense policies that support outdoor recreation infrastructure and public lands and waters.”
The Big Picture
In general, the outdoor industry has grown considerably — and consistently — over the last decade.
From 2014 to 2024, it grew from $391 billion to $696 billion, a whopping 78% increase. In 2022, the industry crossed the $1 trillion mark of total gross output, an economic figure that doesn’t adjust for inflation but remains an important benchmark. Industry leaders celebrated it as a significant milestone.
At the same time, much of the growth recorded in the federal government’s data can be attributed to travel and tourism. With the exception of the pandemic years (2020 and 2021), the travel category is the largest driver of economic output in government data.
By combining the costs of food, lodging, transportation, and shopping, domestic travel accounted for $315 billion of the outdoor GDP recorded in 2024. That’s nearly half of the total economic output. It’s significantly larger than “conventional outdoor recreation” (hunting, hiking, boating, etc.), which altogether accounts for $205 billion.
Looking at specific outdoor activities, growth stalled in many categories.
Boating and RVing dipped slightly when compared to 2023, and snow sports and equestrian activities remained roughly the same. Hunting and trapping saw significant growth, adding $13 billion in output.
“Hunting growth was surprising to us. I don’t know what to glean from that,” ORR’s Turner told GearJunkie. “I’m reaching out to our sports folks to find out.”
Climbing, hiking, and tent camping were grouped together, and they also saw some growth. But at just $6.2 billion, spending on those activities is not a primary driver of the outdoor economy.
Efforts at Economic Growth
Congress likes to fund things that will make money. The growth of outdoor recreation has helped convince policymakers to make more efforts to support it.
In December 2024, Congress passed the EXPLORE Act. The bill — which aimed to expand outdoor access, improve infrastructure, and streamline permitting — remains one of the most significant pieces of legislation focused on outdoor recreation.
However, the vast dismantling of the federal government in 2025 could complicate those efforts. Last year, the White House fired enormous numbers of federal workers, including many dedicated to public lands. Large-scale layoffs occurred at the National Park Service, the National Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and others. Many of those agencies also saw significant funding cuts.
But money and legislation aren’t the only indicators of a healthy interest in outdoor recreation. AllTrails, a leading app for tracking outdoor activities, saw 75% growth in 2025 — its biggest increase since the pandemic in 2020, according to Kai Twanmoh, the company’s head of brand engagement.
“We are incredibly bullish about a future where every American gets to spend time outside,” Twanmoh said in an ORR meeting about the economic numbers released last week. “That future is enabled by the outdoor economy.”
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