Barely 50 percent of the U.S. population headed outside to get some recreation in 2018, according to a new report/Angie Rayborn

Chances are, you read National Parks Traveler's outdoors content because you frequently head outdoors to recreate. And yet, surprisingly, nearly half of the U.S. population did not go outdoors to get some exercise in 2018, according to a new report from the Outdoor Foundation.

That's a staggering statistic when you stop and think about it. The U.S. population is not quite 330 million, so about 165 million Americans didn't bother to go outside to enjoy some recreation in 2018, if this report is accurate.

In 2018, just over half of all Americans, 50.5 percent of the population, engaged in outdoor activities. This 3.1 percent increase from 2017 to 2018 continued a three-year streak of modest growth in outdoor participation rates. The number of outdoor participants also slightly increased. In 2018, 151.8 million people participated in at least one outdoor activity, an increase of 5.7 million participants from 2017 to 2018.

But look a little deeper into the report, and it notes that even those who go outside for recreation aren't getting out as much as they used to. 

In 2018, only 33.2 percent of outdoor participants were considered moderate participants, a drop from 35.1 percent just a decade earlier. The frequency of outdoor activity among youth was equally worrisome. Kids went on 15 percent fewer annual outings in 2018 than they did in 2012. The decline in youth activity was particularly concerning as youth participation is a strong indicator of future activity. In fact, adults that were active outside as children were twice as likely to be active when they became adults.

Additionally, the report shows a continued gap between the diversity of outdoor participants and the diversity of the U.S. population, specifically where non-Caucasian ethnic groups reported going on far fewer outings in 2018 than they did just five years earlier. 

The report indicates that of the people who report they participate in outdoor activity, 63 percent say they go outside within 10 miles of their home. Some bright spots from the report showed that female outdoor participation increased by an average of 1.7 percent over the last three years, and Hispanic participation in the outdoors was the strongest among ethnic groups.

“We know from study after study that recreating outside, even at minimal levels, greatly benefits an individual’s physical and mental health and also increases academic outcomes and community connections. But unfortunately, the barriers to getting outside are greater for Americans living in cities or in areas with fewer transportation options,” said Lise Aangeenbrug, executive director at Outdoor Foundation. “This is why Outdoor Foundation, along with OIA and other like-minded organizations, is working to reach new populations of Americans who don’t get outdoors often or at all or don’t see themselves in the outdoors and encouraging them to get – and thrive – outside.”

Research continued to confirm that the making of an outdoor participant began with convenient, close-to-home outdoor recreation opportunities. Most participants, 63.3 percent, traveled only ten miles from their homes to their outdoor activities. A much smaller 18.9 percent of participants ventured 25 miles or more to their destinations/Outdoor Industry Association

OIA and its member companies have been concerned about the growing trends and gaps in outdoor recreation for some time, and the report confirmed those worries. That is why OIA and Outdoor Foundation have committed to getting all of America outside more often through a two-pronged approach that includes community-based initiatives and local, state and federal policy work.

“At REI Co-op, we’re in the business of unlocking transformational outdoor experiences – whether those happen on a backcountry ski run, or on a walk to your neighborhood park,” says Ben Steele, OIA member company REI Co-op’s executive vice president and chief customer officer. “No outdoor activity is too small, and we should be celebrating the myriad ways to get outside as we welcome more people to a life outdoors.”

In 2019, Outdoor Foundation shifted its focus to underserved communities and now provides larger multi-year grants to build lasting change at the community level. Outdoor Foundation Thrive Outside Community grants bring together partners such as The Trust for Public Land, community organizations, environmental organizations, YMCA, Boys & Girls Club and local leaders in Oklahoma City, Atlanta, San Diego, and Grand Rapids.

“The best chance for us to get more people outdoors, connecting to nature and each other, is for all of us to work together,” said Shanelle Smith Whigham, Ohio state director for The Trust for Public Land. “The Trust for Public Land is seeing this take root in places we work across the country, as some of the top businesses, non-profit and government are meeting communities where they are to provide access to meaningful outdoor experiences. It’s how we make change, and it makes a world of difference.” 

2019 OIA Outdoor Participation Report

Studies frequently point to the benefits of getting out into the fresh air and exercising. A team of researchers in Australia late last year put a dollar figure on the mental health benefits, saying that protected areas such as national parks around the world provide $6 trillion in benefits.

"Nature exposure improves human mental health and wellbeing. Poor mental health imposes major costs on human economies. Therefore, parks have an additional economic value through the mental health of visitors," they wrote in the abstract to their paper, Economic Value of Protected Areas Via Visitor Mental Health.

Richard Louv, a journalist and co-founder of the Children & Nature Network, long has old us through his books about the value of being out in nature. In one of his titles he came up with the phrase, Nature Deficit Disorder.

In the United States, more and more doctors are appreciating the value of the outdoors to personal health through a growing movement called Park Rx (or Park Prescriptions) and are "prescribing" time outdoors for their patients.

“Currently, 90 cents of every health care dollar is spent on treating people with chronic disease,” said Jeff Bellows, vice president, corporate citizenship + public affairs, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. “We need to attack the root causes of these diseases, for example, by helping people adopt healthier lifestyles to make sure they are giving themselves and their families the best chance at a healthy life. Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) companies have programs around the country that are addressing social determinants of health and are providing people and communities with resources to improve their health and prevent diseases.” 

OIA is working with Congress, state and local governments, community leaders and businesses to get people and their communities better access to the outdoors and instill a habit of getting outside regularly. For example, at the federal level, OIA, along with other outdoor groups, is pushing for the full $900 million in funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (HR. 3195/S. 1081). Over 90 percent of LWCF funding is used to increase recreation access to the public. OIA is also pressing Congress to approve the Transit to Trails Act (H.R. 4273/S. 2467) that would support connector transit options in underserved communities to and from public lands. Closer to home, OIA has long supported state and local programs like Colorado’s Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) program, which helps to conserve land and provide increased opportunities for outdoor recreation. The key to GOCO’s success so far has been its ability to balance protection of iconic awe-inspiring lands as well as open spaces within or adjacent to communities so that more people have more options to get outside.

“At a time when Americans are experiencing an epidemic of chronic disease, it’s troubling to know that nearly half do not engage in outdoor recreation at all – something we know helps improve overall quality of life,” said Patricia Rojas-Ungar, vice president of government affairs at Outdoor Industry Association. “This trend is particularly prevalent in communities of color and among children, which is why OIA is making it our mission to work to break down barriers to the outdoors so that people can experience the positive benefits outdoor activities can provide.”

Outdoor Foundation has developed the Outdoor Participation Report for over 10 years. The survey reflects data gathered during the 2018 calendar year and garnered a total of 20,069 online interviews consisting of people ages six and older.