COLUMBIA, PA — Pennsylvania’s outdoor recreation economy reached $20.4 billion in 2024, supporting more than 177,000 jobs and $9.5 billion in wages as the state’s Office of Outdoor Recreation marked its third anniversary Tuesday in Lancaster County. The underlying 2024 outdoor-recreation statistics were released by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis in March.
The industry grew by $1.5 billion in 2024 and now accounts for 2% of Pennsylvania’s gross domestic product, according to the state. Since 2023, the outdoor recreation economy has expanded 21%, added about 12,000 jobs and recorded wage growth of nearly 25%.
The Pennsylvania Office of Outdoor Recreation marked three years of operations at an event in Columbia with Let’s Roll, the Outdoor Business Alliance of Pennsylvania, EDC Lancaster County and local leaders. The office was established in 2023 to develop the state’s outdoor recreation industry and incorporate it into broader economic-development efforts.
The office has since established its Growing Outdoor Recreation for Pennsylvania strategy, or GORP, as a statewide framework for using outdoor recreation in economic and community development.
It also launched Elevate, a business-engagement initiative that collected input from more than 1,000 outdoor recreation businesses and supporters. Participants identified issues including business growth, workforce development, access to capital, marketing and advocacy.
“Starting an outdoor business is an intimidating undertaking,” said Tim Hill, co-owner of Let’s Roll, an e-bike shop in Lancaster County. “I’ve found that engaging with others — from local officials to funding opportunities — are key to building a strong business.”
The office also supported the formation of the Outdoor Business Alliance of Pennsylvania, the state’s first private-sector organization dedicated exclusively to the outdoor recreation industry. The alliance has launched an Outdoor Economy Summit & Industry Expo, a technical-assistance program for small outdoor businesses and Trout Tank, a microgrant program focused on outdoor recreation.
Manufacturing tied to outdoor recreation has grown 30% since 2023 and contributes $3 billion to Pennsylvania’s economy, according to the state. Outdoor recreation tourism has increased 15%, while health- and wellness-related outdoor businesses grew 40% in 2024.
“Outdoor recreation helps us attract and retain the workforce businesses across our economy need while providing an important lever to enhance the vibrancy of communities like Columbia and Marietta,” EDC Lancaster County President Ezra Rothman said.
Pennsylvania’s Office of Outdoor Recreation has also been selected by its peers to chair the Confluence of States, a bipartisan coalition of state outdoor recreation offices.
Pennsylvania has more than 14,000 miles of trails, 6,500 local parks, 125 state parks, 84,000 miles of waterways and 2.2 million acres of state forestland, according to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
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