Continued longitudinal analysis of avid outdoor recreationists during the COVID-19 pandemic and sensitivities to new outdoor recreationists
The COVID-19 pandemic has altered outdoor recreation behaviors in the United States for over one year. In an effort to continue gathering timely and relevant data on national outdoor recreation patterns, the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics and its academic partners, Pennsylvania State University and the University of Montana, conducted a four-phase study to offer guidance to land managers, recreation providers, and outdoor enthusiasts across the United States. This report details findings from Phase 4, occurring one year into the pandemic. By comparing survey results from April 2020 (Phase 1) and April 2021 (Phase 4), we provide a longitudinal perspective of how avid outdoor recreationists’ reported behaviors and perspectives are evolving with the ever-changing pandemic. Phases 1, 2, and 3 of this assessment were detailed by previous reports1. In addition to examining differences between April 2020 (Phase 1) and April 2021 (Phase 4), this report details how avid outdoor recreationists have been impacted by and reacted to influxes of new outdoor recreationists during the pandemic. This report is intended to provide valuable information for managing changing recreation use of public lands and offer insight for land managers as they work to protect the natural world.