Outdoor recreation participation in the United States reached a record 183.2 million people in 2025, with 59% of Americans ages six and older taking part in outdoor activities, according to the Outdoor Participation Trends Report released June 16 by the Outdoor Industry Association and the Outdoor Foundation.
The report, unveiled during Switchback Spring 2026, showed participation increased by 2.1 million people from 2024, representing a 1.1% year-over-year gain.
Since 2019, the number of outdoor participants has grown by nearly 30 million people.
Researchers said the expanding participant base contrasts with a decline in how frequently Americans engage in outdoor activities. Annual outing frequency has fallen from pre-pandemic levels, indicating that more people are participating but doing so less consistently.
According to a press release, Kelly Davis, director of research for the Outdoor Industry Association, said the findings demonstrate that outdoor recreation continues to attract broad segments of the population.
“This year’s findings reinforce that outdoor recreation remains a powerful and growing force in American life,” Davis said. “Even as participation growth stabilizes following the pandemic surge, we continue to see strong engagement across generations, income levels, and communities.”
Several demographic groups posted notable gains in 2025. Participation among children ages six to 12 increased 5%, while adults ages 65 and older rose 3.6 .
Hispanic participation climbed 6.5%, and participation in New England and the East South Central region increased 6.2%. Households earning more than $100,000 annually recorded a 3.2%increase.
Women reached a record participation rate of 53.4%, while men reached a record 64.8%, according to the report.
Older Americans continued to represent a significant source of growth. The number of participants age 65 and older reached 23.9 million in 2025, up 12.1 million from a decade earlier.
Their participation rate increased from 25.7%in 2016 to 41.6%t in 2025. Hiking, wildlife viewing, birding and fishing were among the activities that benefited most from growth in the senior demographic.
Children ages 6 to 12 also emerged as a key growth category, reaching 22.6 million participants. About two-thirds of households with children participate in outdoor recreation activities, compared with slightly more than half of households without children.
More than half of outdoor participants have less than 10 years of experience, reflecting continued growth among newer consumers entering the market.
Kent Ebersole, president of the Outdoor Industry Association, said participation frequency remains important to building long-term engagement.
“If you go outside once a year, you’re probably not going to become a conservation advocate,” Ebersole said. “But when people get outside five, 10, or 20 times a year, they begin building a deeper connection to public lands, conservation, and the outdoor community. Frequency and repetition matter. The more consistently people engage outdoors, the more likely they are to become lifelong participants and advocates for the places they use.”
The annual Outdoor Participation Trends Report, now in its 15th year, is based on research commissioned by the Outdoor Industry Association, with data provided by the Physical Activity Council. The report is available to Outdoor Industry Association members.