Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office updated their Economic Analysis of Outdoor Recreation in Washington State, and the findings confirm that Washington’s outdoors continue to be a major economic driver for the state.

The report estimates that more than $25.2 billion is spent annually in Washington on recreation trips and equipment. Spending on lodging, equipment, and permits generates additional economic activity because local businesses purchase supplies and services, and their employees spend their wages locally. Altogether, this spending contributes 2.4 percent to the state’s economic production (gross domestic product).

Outdoor recreation also supports 237,000 jobs each year, accounting for 5.4 percent of statewide employment. The report notes that among all recreation destinations, state and federal public lands are the most visited, hosting 36 percent of all recreation days, while local parks host 30 percent and private lands host 34 percent. In total, Washington residents and visitors engaged in outdoor recreation about 437 million days in 2024.

This represents a substantial amount of recreation that agencies and partners help create, maintain, and improve. They hope staff and members will share this positive news. Social media posts have also been published today, and they encourage others to like and share them.

For any questions, individuals can reach out to Megan Duffy.