2026 Outdoor Participation Trends Report: Executive Summary

For more than 15 years, the Outdoor Participation Trends Report has been the industry's most trusted and comprehensive resource for understanding who's getting outside, how often, and why it matters.

The 2026 edition tells a more nuanced story than ever before: outdoor participation has reached an all-time high of 183.2 million Americans, yet the data reveals a critical shift beneath the headline—people are going outside, but they're going less often. This is the frequency gap, and it's the defining challenge and opportunity for the outdoor industry today.

Inside the report, you'll find the key trends shaping the future of outdoor participation, including:

• Record participation reaching 183.2 million Americans—59% of those ages 6 and older—even as annual growth slows to 1.1%
• A surge among seniors, with the 65+ group adding 800,000 participants in a single year and 12.1 million since 2016
• Strong momentum among kids ages 6 to 12 (+5% to 22.6 million), with two-thirds of households with kids now participating
• Growing diversity, led by a 6.5% rise in Hispanic participation and a record 53.4% participation rate among women
• A widening but shallower base—the average participant now takes five fewer outings per year than in 2019, signaling a shift toward more casual engagement

Download the executive summary to get a clear snapshot of where outdoor participation stands, and where it's headed.