Outdoor Recreation Access and Participation Survey
(ORAPS)
Upcoming webinar: Intro to the Outdoor Recreation Access and Participation Survey
Join us: August 27, 2026 at 12PM Mountain Time.
This webinar is designed to introduce state liaisons, state park directors, grant administrators, and others who support outdoor access to the ORAPS project and to garner further support for implementation. Brought to you by SORP and NASORLO.
If you missed it, please see the information and a similar video below.
Join us: August 27, 2026 at 12PM Mountain Time.
This webinar is designed to introduce state liaisons, state park directors, grant administrators, and others who support outdoor access to the ORAPS project and to garner further support for implementation. Brought to you by SORP and NASORLO.
If you missed it, please see the information and a similar video below.
|
Show your support for the ORAPS project
Use the following link or QR code to take a brief 4-question survey to document your organization's support for the Outdoor Recreation Access and Participation Survey (ORAPS) project. ▪https://www.cognitoforms.com/MorseORAPS/ORAPSSupport |
|
Benefits of Outdoor Recreation
Outdoor recreation is a major component of the nation’s economy, critical to rural and urban communities, and important to quality of life and well-being. Nearly 60% of all Americans participate in outdoor recreation near or away from home each year, including walking, jogging, hiking, biking, camping, RVing, hunting, and fishing. Outdoor recreation benefits our physical and psychological health, supporting families, veterans, people with disabilities, kids, and seniors. Being outdoors provides long-term societal benefits , including reduced healthcare costs, increased community connectivity, and economic opportunities. In 2024, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) reported the outdoor recreation economy generated $1.3 trillion in economic output, accounting for 2.4% of the GDP, supporting over 5.2 million jobs, and outpacing the rest of the U.S. economy.
Bipartisan Support
Outdoor recreation has had longstanding bipartisan support over the last 75 years. Established in 1964, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) fulfills “a national commitment to safeguard our natural areas, water resources and cultural heritage, and to provide recreation opportunities to all Americans.” The act was designed to ensure that everyone has reasonable access to recreation resources that “strengthen the health and vitality” of people across America. The LWCF requires states to develop Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plans (SCORP) to evaluate the supply and demand for outdoor recreation, to identify recreation needs, and establish investment priorities within each state.
Additionally, in 2025, Congress unanimously passed The EXPLORE Act (H.R. 6492 - 118th Congress), which "represents a historic bipartisan commitment to expanding outdoor recreation on public lands and waters, supporting rural economies and communities while enhancing the American quality of life. Its provisions seek to modernize outdoor recreation infrastructure, expand accessibility, streamline permitting, and foster partnerships while protecting natural resources for current and future generations." It established the Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation (FICOR) as a permanent coordinating body. The EXPLORE Act requires outdoor recreation information on barriers (constraints), needs (facilitators), benefits (e.g., health, social, and economic), and long-term activity participation to forecast demand, with special attention given to military personnel and veterans.
The Challenge
The LWCF has funded projects in every county in the U.S.; however, very little recreation data exists at that scale. To date, there is no consistent, standardized, and publicly available system for collecting and disseminating demand-side outdoor recreation data across national, state, and county levels. Local community and regional recreation planning and investment decisions are best informed by sound and consistent data.
The ORAPS Opportunity
The ORAPS is a cost-efficient, standardized, scientifically rigorous system for collecting and disseminating information on outdoor recreation access, constraints, needs, participation, and benefits for U.S. households at the county, state, and national levels.
ORAPS data supports federal and state government recreation and health agencies, state and local leadership, the outdoor industry, non-profit organizations, military and veterans, researchers, and recreation activity advocacy groups to leverage and sustain the many benefits of outdoor recreation through informed decision-making.
Outdoor recreation is a major component of the nation’s economy, critical to rural and urban communities, and important to quality of life and well-being. Nearly 60% of all Americans participate in outdoor recreation near or away from home each year, including walking, jogging, hiking, biking, camping, RVing, hunting, and fishing. Outdoor recreation benefits our physical and psychological health, supporting families, veterans, people with disabilities, kids, and seniors. Being outdoors provides long-term societal benefits , including reduced healthcare costs, increased community connectivity, and economic opportunities. In 2024, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) reported the outdoor recreation economy generated $1.3 trillion in economic output, accounting for 2.4% of the GDP, supporting over 5.2 million jobs, and outpacing the rest of the U.S. economy.
Bipartisan Support
Outdoor recreation has had longstanding bipartisan support over the last 75 years. Established in 1964, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) fulfills “a national commitment to safeguard our natural areas, water resources and cultural heritage, and to provide recreation opportunities to all Americans.” The act was designed to ensure that everyone has reasonable access to recreation resources that “strengthen the health and vitality” of people across America. The LWCF requires states to develop Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plans (SCORP) to evaluate the supply and demand for outdoor recreation, to identify recreation needs, and establish investment priorities within each state.
Additionally, in 2025, Congress unanimously passed The EXPLORE Act (H.R. 6492 - 118th Congress), which "represents a historic bipartisan commitment to expanding outdoor recreation on public lands and waters, supporting rural economies and communities while enhancing the American quality of life. Its provisions seek to modernize outdoor recreation infrastructure, expand accessibility, streamline permitting, and foster partnerships while protecting natural resources for current and future generations." It established the Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation (FICOR) as a permanent coordinating body. The EXPLORE Act requires outdoor recreation information on barriers (constraints), needs (facilitators), benefits (e.g., health, social, and economic), and long-term activity participation to forecast demand, with special attention given to military personnel and veterans.
The Challenge
The LWCF has funded projects in every county in the U.S.; however, very little recreation data exists at that scale. To date, there is no consistent, standardized, and publicly available system for collecting and disseminating demand-side outdoor recreation data across national, state, and county levels. Local community and regional recreation planning and investment decisions are best informed by sound and consistent data.
The ORAPS Opportunity
The ORAPS is a cost-efficient, standardized, scientifically rigorous system for collecting and disseminating information on outdoor recreation access, constraints, needs, participation, and benefits for U.S. households at the county, state, and national levels.
ORAPS data supports federal and state government recreation and health agencies, state and local leadership, the outdoor industry, non-profit organizations, military and veterans, researchers, and recreation activity advocacy groups to leverage and sustain the many benefits of outdoor recreation through informed decision-making.
|
|
What is in the ORAPS?
The ORAPS is theoretically based on the expanded Recreation Experience Model and includes question modules on motivations, barriers/constraints, needs/facilitators, activity participation (100+ activities), and health and economic benefits. Additional modules on access proximity (10-minute walk) and time in nature are also core to the ORAPS.
Identifying Actionable Priorities
Question modules on Constraints and Facilitators are critical because they identify priority project areas (e.g., infrastructure, facilities, information, and programming) where managers and communities can intervene to enhance activity participation. Constraint and facilitator information gathered at the local and regional scales provides details on specific projects that can be prioritized, targeted, and funded by LWCF or other sources. Activity participation trends alone do not provide information on these actionable interventions.
The ORAPS is theoretically based on the expanded Recreation Experience Model and includes question modules on motivations, barriers/constraints, needs/facilitators, activity participation (100+ activities), and health and economic benefits. Additional modules on access proximity (10-minute walk) and time in nature are also core to the ORAPS.
Identifying Actionable Priorities
Question modules on Constraints and Facilitators are critical because they identify priority project areas (e.g., infrastructure, facilities, information, and programming) where managers and communities can intervene to enhance activity participation. Constraint and facilitator information gathered at the local and regional scales provides details on specific projects that can be prioritized, targeted, and funded by LWCF or other sources. Activity participation trends alone do not provide information on these actionable interventions.
|
ORAPS: 7 Survey Question Modules
|
ORAPS Administration
We propose that ORAPS data collection and distribution be centralized and administered through the Center for the Outdoor Recreation Economy (CORE) at Oregon State University. Centralization of demand-side data collection at CORE ensures methodological consistency in: survey administration, sampling, question sets and wording, timing, and incentives, ensuring spatial (county-state-nation) and longitudinal reliability. Centralized databases will also facilitate consistent data management and distribution. Finally, centralization will create cost efficiencies through standardization, national data consistency, and increased return through publicly available data.
Sampling Rural Counties
The long-term ORAPS will employ an innovative and intensive probability-based county-level sampling strategy to ensure representation across a state, especially low-population and rural counties, including tribal lands. This approach enables strategic allocation of LWCF funds, prioritizes community needs, and supports rural economic development while maintaining reliable urban data.
Publicly Available Data
Survey instruments and methods will be publicly available for transparency. ORAPS data will be made freely available through the coordinating research center, Federal and state agencies, and collaborating partner platforms, ensuring access to data in multiple formats. Publicly available data that is free to use and analyze maximizes the return on investment in data collection, maintenance, and distribution.
Reporting
Standardized reports will be produced for each state and for local jurisdictions (e.g., counties or regional clusters), providing essential demand-side data to support LWCF applications, especially for low-resource, underserved (e.g., ORLP), and rural communities.
We propose that ORAPS data collection and distribution be centralized and administered through the Center for the Outdoor Recreation Economy (CORE) at Oregon State University. Centralization of demand-side data collection at CORE ensures methodological consistency in: survey administration, sampling, question sets and wording, timing, and incentives, ensuring spatial (county-state-nation) and longitudinal reliability. Centralized databases will also facilitate consistent data management and distribution. Finally, centralization will create cost efficiencies through standardization, national data consistency, and increased return through publicly available data.
Sampling Rural Counties
The long-term ORAPS will employ an innovative and intensive probability-based county-level sampling strategy to ensure representation across a state, especially low-population and rural counties, including tribal lands. This approach enables strategic allocation of LWCF funds, prioritizes community needs, and supports rural economic development while maintaining reliable urban data.
Publicly Available Data
Survey instruments and methods will be publicly available for transparency. ORAPS data will be made freely available through the coordinating research center, Federal and state agencies, and collaborating partner platforms, ensuring access to data in multiple formats. Publicly available data that is free to use and analyze maximizes the return on investment in data collection, maintenance, and distribution.
Reporting
Standardized reports will be produced for each state and for local jurisdictions (e.g., counties or regional clusters), providing essential demand-side data to support LWCF applications, especially for low-resource, underserved (e.g., ORLP), and rural communities.
|
Bigger Picture: National Recreation Supply and Demand Database (NRSDD)
Linking the demand for recreation participation with socioeconomic, demographic, and health data with the supply of outdoor recreation opportunities. Integration of ORAPS data for SCORP development identified in blue. |
|
Description of the Proposed ORAPS Implementation Stages
Stage 1: Baseline Assessment, 3-year project ORAPS implementation comes in two unique, yet related, stages. The first stage is planned to take 3 years and will gather baseline data by applying ORAPS to all 50 states, Washington D.C., and five U.S. Territories. We will conduct an intensive probabilistic random sample (1,200 respondents for a 3% sampling error) for state-level analysis. Collecting consistent standardized data across all States/D.C./Territories provides the baseline for all future SCORP trend analysis. It will be the critical starting point to monitor trends in Access, Needs, Constraints, Activity Participation, and Economic and Health impacts. It will provide States with the direct means to measure the impacts of LWCF projects and SCORP planning. It will also allow States/D.C./Territories to understand their regional and national context (recreation does not stop at state borders or rely on agency boundaries) and collectively provide a baseline for the nation. |
|
Stage 2: Rotation Cycle, 5-year project
In the second stage, ORAPS implementation will occur on a five-year cycle where data from 10 States and one U.S. Territory (or D.C.) are collected each year. For the rotation cycle, sampling will be designed to be representative at the county or county-block level. Trend analysis of all modules (motivations, access, needs, constraints, activity participation, and economic and health impacts) will be possible during this cycle. This approach enables strategic allocation of LWCF funds, prioritizes community needs, and supports rural economic development while maintaining reliable urban data. This level also provides local data on economic and health benefits specific to outdoor recreation.
It is anticipated that the 5-year rotation cycle will be repeated into the future, enabling continuing trend analysis across all modules and scales from county to state to national levels. Trend analysis will allow assessment of the impacts of SCORP planning, LWCF and other local recreation projects, and other changes in recreation access and participation across scales and over time.
In the second stage, ORAPS implementation will occur on a five-year cycle where data from 10 States and one U.S. Territory (or D.C.) are collected each year. For the rotation cycle, sampling will be designed to be representative at the county or county-block level. Trend analysis of all modules (motivations, access, needs, constraints, activity participation, and economic and health impacts) will be possible during this cycle. This approach enables strategic allocation of LWCF funds, prioritizes community needs, and supports rural economic development while maintaining reliable urban data. This level also provides local data on economic and health benefits specific to outdoor recreation.
It is anticipated that the 5-year rotation cycle will be repeated into the future, enabling continuing trend analysis across all modules and scales from county to state to national levels. Trend analysis will allow assessment of the impacts of SCORP planning, LWCF and other local recreation projects, and other changes in recreation access and participation across scales and over time.
Background Development of the ORAPS
The ORAPS began as part of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention project to reduce and prevent obesity in 14 Alabama counties with over 40% adult obesity. A three-pronged approach was taken to understand food access, nutrition information, and opportunities for physical activity. While there was a wealth of county-level information on health, economics, location of food sources, the supply of parks and trails, and sociodemographics, there was not local or regional information on recreation participation or, importantly, those factors that may constrain or facilitate participation. The ORAPS has been rigorously developed and tested over the last 8 years, reviewed by 24 experts (agency and academic), and state-tailored versions have been administered with several state SCORPs. (See the attached timeline of presentations, publications, workshops, grants, etc.)
The ORAPS began as part of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention project to reduce and prevent obesity in 14 Alabama counties with over 40% adult obesity. A three-pronged approach was taken to understand food access, nutrition information, and opportunities for physical activity. While there was a wealth of county-level information on health, economics, location of food sources, the supply of parks and trails, and sociodemographics, there was not local or regional information on recreation participation or, importantly, those factors that may constrain or facilitate participation. The ORAPS has been rigorously developed and tested over the last 8 years, reviewed by 24 experts (agency and academic), and state-tailored versions have been administered with several state SCORPs. (See the attached timeline of presentations, publications, workshops, grants, etc.)