Long Term US Outdoor Recreation Participation Trends (1982 - 2009

The US National Survey on Recreation and the Environment has been systematically collecting comparable, longitudinal data for decades. The table below indicates the percentage of the US population participating at least once in each of the most popular outdoor recreation activities.

The vast majority of activities are experiencing growth - the fastest being birdwatching, day hiking, backpacking and driving off road. The only activies that have actually lost popularity are sailing, cross-country skiing, ice skating outdoors and tennis outdoors.

Please note another blog in the outdoor recreation category that shows much more volatility in the first decade of the 21st century (using NSRE data as well).




Activity


'82-'83


'94-'95


'99-'01


'05-'09


% change


walk for pleasure


view/photography birds


attend outdoor sport events


day hiking


outdoor concerts/plays


visit nature centres


swimming (lakes, streams)


sightseeing


bicycling


running or jogging


picnicking


boating


driving for pleasure


drive off-road


developed camping


swimming in outdoor pool


motorboating


outdoor team sports


fishing


primitive camping


canoeing or kayaking


backpacking


golf


sledding


horseback riding


hunting


downhill skiing


waterskiing


snowmobiling


sailing


cross country skiing


ice skating outdoors


tennis outdoors


53.0


12.0


40.0


14.0


25.0


50.0


32.0


46.0


32.0


26.0


48.0


28.0


48.0


11.0


17.0


43.0


19.0


24.0


34.0


10.0


8.0


5.0


13.0


10.0


9.0


12.0


6.0


9.0


3.0


6.0


3.0


6.0


17.0


68,8


27.0


49.0


26.6


35.2


55.1


43.4


58.4


38.7


28.2


55.7


37.8


na


17.8


23.1


49.2


29.6


29.1


35.0


15.6


9.5


8.4


17.3


13.7


10.3


12.5


11.3


11.3


4.8


6.0


4.4


7.1


14.0


82.4


31.8


50.8


32.4


40.9


56.7


41.4


50.8


39.6


32.9


54.9


36.3


50.3


17.4


26.4


41.7


24.3


22.9


34.2


15.9


11.5


10.4


16.7


15.1


9.7


11.1


8.6


8.0


5.5


5.1


3.8


6.7


10.5


84.1


34.9


52.4


32.6


36.5


55.1


40.7


50.5


39.2


34.5


50.9


35.6


48.8


20.0


24.1


43.1


23.3


26.9


33.8


14.2


12.4


9.8


14.3


11.6


9.7


11.5


6.4


8.3


3.8


4.5


2.1


4.2


9.7


111.3


287.0


74.4


209.9


94.2


46.7


69.4


46.1


62.9


76.5


41.1


68.9


35.3


141.9


88.8


33.4


63.0


49.3


32.2


89.6


105.8


160.9


46.5


54.9


43.6


27.9


42.3


23.1


67.3


-1.0


-5.8


-7.7


-24.4



Source: Ken Cordell, Carter Betz and Gary Green, 'Nature-based Outdoor Recreation Trends and Wilderness', International Journal of Wilderness (August 2008, Volume 14, Number 2) - using data from the National Survey on Recreation and the Environment, USDA Forest Service and University of Georgia)

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