In 2012, Americans took advantage of the diversity and accessibility of the nation’s outdoor opportunities. Nearly half – 49.4 percent – of all Americans participated in some form of outdoor recreation last year. Although the overall participation rate remained the same as it was in 2011, the number of participants is the highest recorded in this report, thanks to population growth. Nearly 142 million people enjoyed outdoor recreation, up about 800,000 since 2011.

While participation among children and young adults remained steady, participation among adolescents dropped, dragged down by low participation among adolescent girls.

There is vast diversity among outdoor recreation opportunities, but much less diversity among the outdoor participants themselves. Participation among minority populations still lags behind Caucasians. The biggest difference in participation is seen between Caucasian and African American adolescents.