WHY OFFER OUTDOOR RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES?

Over 75% of Americans participate in some form of outdoor recreation (such as hiking, camping, fishing, or mountain biking) each year.  More than half of all Americans participate in outdoor recreation at least monthly.  Those with incomes over $50,000 are twice as likely as other Americans to participate in outdoor recreation on a regular basis. The American public associates outdoor recreation with the three great issues of the 1990s:  family, environment, and health.  One in three Americans take a vacation each year in which their primary focus is outdoor recreation.  Americans who engage in outdoor recreation on a regular basis are statistically more likely to be completely satisfied with their lives than other Americans.

ABOUT HIKING:

• Hiking is one of the most popular outdoor activities in the US; over 20% of Americans report that they have hiked in the past year.
• In the past 10 years, the number of people who hike over 50 days per year has more than doubled, recently reaching over 800,000.
• Over 41 million Americans hike on some type of regular basis.

ABOUT MOUNTAIN BIKING:

• Mountain biking is the fastest growing outdoor recreational activity in the US  In the mid-70s, mountain biking didn't exist.  By the mid-80s, 250,000 Americans owned mountain bikes.  By the mid-90s, 26 million own mountain bikes.
• Over 10 million bicycle owners ride off-road at least six times per year.
• The fastest-growing segment of the mountain bike market encompasses mature men and women in mid- and upper-income brackets.

ABOUT TRAIL RUNNING:

• The popularity of trail running has increased so dramatically within the past decade that it is almost impossible to measure due to a lack of baseline data.
• The best estimate is that approximately 1.2 million Americans enjoy trail running, defined as running on rugged trails in natural areas.
• Organizers of trail races report that they are flooded with hundreds more applicants than can be accommodated by the coordinators and trails.

Sources:  Recreation Roundtable Survey on Outdoor Recreation in America, American Sports Data Inc., American Recreation Coalition / Recreation Facts Library, Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, All American Trail Running Association, International Mountain Biking Association

For More Information Contact:

Southwest Trekking
P. O. Box 57714
Tel: 520-296-9661
FAX: 520-751-8506
Internet: swtrekking@aol.com