Outdoor Recreation Contributed Nearly $700 Billion to the U.S. Economy in 2024. | Photo: Beaver Creek Resort
Outdoor recreation remains a major economic driver across the United States, contributing nearly $700 billion to the nation’s economy in 2024, according to new data released by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA).
The report estimates that outdoor recreation generated $696.7 billion in economic value, accounting for 2.4% of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024. While the industry continued to grow, its pace slowed compared to the previous year. After adjusting for inflation, outdoor recreation grew by 2.7%, just slightly behind the overall U.S. economy, which grew 2.8%.
One important thing to understand about the report is that it does not measure how many people went skiing, hiking, or camping. Instead, it measures the economic impact of outdoor recreation by looking at the value created through spending, jobs, wages, and business activity.
For skiers and snowboarders, that means the report includes far more than lift ticket sales. It also captures spending on hotels, restaurants, transportation, equipment, retail stores, and many other businesses that benefit when people travel to the mountains.
The top 9 States for Outdoor Recreation Added as a Percent of GDP
Hawaii – 6.1%
Alaska – 5.3%
Montana – 4.9%
Vermont – 4.7%
Wyoming – 4.5%
Maine – 4%
Florida – 3.8%
What each state contributes as a percent of GDP to the outdoor economy. | Photo: BEA
More than half of the outdoor recreation economy falls into what the BEA calls “supporting activities,” which accounted for 51.5% of the industry’s economic value in 2024. These include travel and tourism, lodging, food services, construction, and government spending related to outdoor recreation. Traditional outdoor activities, such as skiing, hiking, boating, hunting, and mountain biking represented 29.5% of the total, while activities like gardening and outdoor concerts made up the remaining 19%.
Among all traditional outdoor activities, boating and fishing generated the largest economic impact at $38.4 billion, followed by RVing at $27.5 billion and hunting, shooting, and trapping at $16.5 billion.
Snow sports also made a significant contribution. According to the report, snow activities generated $7.6 billion in economic value nationwide in 2024. Snow activities were the largest traditional outdoor recreation category in Colorado, Utah, Vermont, and New Hampshire, highlighting the importance of the ski industry in those states.
Colorado led the nation with approximately $1.6 billion in value generated by snow activities. California ranked second at $730.5 million, followed by Utah at $598.2 million.
The report highlights just how broad the outdoor recreation economy has become. While skiing and snowboarding remain important contributors, their economic impact extends well beyond the slopes. Every hotel stay, restaurant meal, rental car, ski tune, and pair of goggles purchased helps support an industry that now contributes nearly $700 billion annually to the U.S. economy.
Outdoor recreation also continued to support employment across the country. Jobs in the industry increased 1.1% nationally in 2024, with employment growing in 36 states and the District of Columbia. Photo: Ikon Pass