Colorado’s outdoor economy just keeps growing, federal data shows
Christian Murdock/The Gazette
Colorado’s outdoor recreation economy continues to snowball — in a good way.
Notably, Colorado’s ski industry dominates the country.
The state’s industry grew nearly 24% in 2023 and contributed about $17.2 billion to Colorado’s gross domestic product, according to federal data released Wednesday from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
In 2022, Colorado generated almost $14 billion.
Colorado had the 10th highest contribution to the national outdoor recreation industry in 2023, the report said. The U.S. outdoor economy generated $1.2 trillion last year.
The outdoor industry — which includes skiing, biking, hiking, camping and boating – is a growing share of Colorado’s economy. It contributed about 3.2% of the state’s GDP in 2023, compared to 2.8% the previous year.
State’s largest sector for outdoor recreation
Colorado remains to be the dominate force in the nation’s ski industry.
The state’s snow activities nearly hit $1.6 billion, generating more than 20% of the economic impact for the nation’s snow activities. Colorado was followed by California, which generated nearly $700 million, and Utah with about $650 million.
According to the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, a D.C.-based lobbying group for the industry, the new data shows the national outdoor industry is now larger than farming, mining and utilities.
Snow activities were one of the fastest-growing sectors of the outdoor economy, according to the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, as well as biking, hunting and camping.
In Colorado, the largest drivers of the industry were snow sports, boating and fishing and RVing.
Colorado officials have been aiming to position the state as a national leader in the outdoor recreation economy.
One of the strategies was to launch a new annual event — a mix of the industry’s primary trade show Outdoor Retailer, which left Denver for Utah, and Coachella fun.
The new event, called Outside Festival, featured concerts headlined by Grammy-winning artists, a gear show, a film festival, and an exclusive industry conference to discuss trending topics affecting the outdoor economy.
It attracted more than 18,000 attendees when it debuted in June for its first year at downtown Denver’s Civic Center Park.
REI Co-op hosts a Founders Market — highlighting a diverse set of outdoors brands — at the Outside Festival's Big Gear Show on May 31, 2024.
Bernadette Berdychowski / Denver Gazette
REI Co-op hosts a Founders Market — highlighting a diverse set of outdoors brands — at the Outside Festival’s Big Gear Show on May 31, 2024.
A growing employer
The new report emphasized the role of outdoor recreation in Colorado’s economy, said Conor Hall, director of Colorado’s Office of Outdoor Recreation Industry, in a statement.
“From fishing and archery to snowmobiling and camping, these activities not only enhance our quality of life but also drive significant economic growth, create jobs, and support communities across the state,” Hall said.
The outdoor industry is a large employer in the state, making up 4.3% of jobs.
The federal report also shows Colorado has one of fastest-growing job markets in the country for the industry.
Outdoor recreation employment grew 4.4% statewide in 2023 to a total of 132,500 jobs, according to bureau data. It’s the eighth highest rate nationwide.
Alaska had the fastest-growing outdoor recreation job market in the country at 7.5%. Almost every state saw job gains, except for Indiana, which saw employment fall nearly 5%.