Are the outdoors really for everyone?
Breaking down barriers to outdoor recreation
A brightly-lit climbing wall towers 30 feet above the floor. Colorful routes made of plastic grips rise up the artificial rock face. Nicole Mowery is a regular climber, but it took her quite some time to become comfortable in the space, and not for the reasons one would expect.
“I remember when I started climbing I literally looked up a dictionary of climbing terms,” said Mowery. “I was combing through it trying to memorize stuff. To feel like I belonged in that space even a little bit, I felt like I had to study a dictionary of climbing terms.”
The unfamiliar terms made climbing less inviting for her. It almost felt like an exclusive club that she wasn’t a part of. Unfortunately, her experience is not unique. The outdoor recreation industry tends to cater to people who have grown up feeling comfortable in outdoor spaces, and there are many additional barriers to entry that make it difficult for beginners to get involved and feel welcomed into outdoor spaces.
The Exclusivity of Outdoor Recreation
Outdoor recreation is a leading industry in the American economy, accounting for $459.8 billion of current-dollar gross domestic product (GDP) in 2019. America’s National Parks saw 237,064,332 recreation visits in 2020. Despite the popularity of outdoor recreation, the outdoor industry lacks both accessibility and inclusion. White people make up 63% of the US population but comprise 95% of visitors to National Parks.
This is no coincidence. Black people were not allowed to enter national or state parks until the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It wasn’t until 1988 that the first Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandated that park and recreation departments serve people with disabilities.
Today, even with more laws and regulations in place to make the outdoors accessible, there still is the prevailing image that people who participate in outdoor recreation are young, white, able-bodied men.
An average of about 98% of imagery in a content analysis of outdoor magazines showed white people and more than 99% of images showed able-bodied people. Only 31% of images portrayed women in the outdoors.
Claims of “the outdoors are for everyone” can feel disingenuous from brands that charge more than $100 for a pair of hiking boots. Systemic and operational barriers to the outdoors range from the high cost of outdoor recreation to lack of representation, to the culture of the outdoors that feels exclusive and judgmental.
University of Oregon Outdoor Program
Mowery, Trip Initiator Advocate at the University of Oregon’s Outdoor Program, commented on some of the barriers to participating in outdoor recreation, “financial is a huge one. The barrier to entry to outdoor activities is really high.” Mowery and the Outdoor Program (OP) have been taking steps to eliminate some of these barriers.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the OP had to shift away from the in-person outings they were known for and had to find new ways to engage UO students in outdoor recreation.
The program has been hosting a virtual speaker series called “Redefining Outdoorsy,” to highlight underrepresented voices in the outdoors. “Redefining Outdoorsy” speakers have included female ultra-endurance biker Lael Wilcox, Paralympian Leo Rodgers, and queer environmentalist Pattie Gonia.
“The outdoors, as many know or have experienced are extremely dominated by white people and especially white cis[gendered] men, and that’s a huge problem,” said Mowery. “It creates a really exclusive environment, a really toxic environment, so [the OP] just wanted to look at okay, what are other ways that you could be outdoorsy? How do you redefine that term and create a space that’s welcoming for everyone?”
In addition to the speaker series, the OP is working on other ways to eliminate some of the barriers to the outdoors. Proceeds from a recent fundraiser went towards “Experience Grants that will help give students access to OP trips and gear rentals, regardless of their means to pay.” Mowery also said that the OP is working to change the culture surrounding outdoor recreation and the outdoor program at the U of O to make it more welcoming.
“As a program, over the past few years since I’ve been here, we’ve really tried to take big steps just reducing barriers and making our space more comfortable. When I started working at the Outdoor Program, it was so bro-y, so intimidating…so we’ve really worked towards, in a lot of aspects of our program, making it a safe space,” said Mowery.
Social Media and the Outdoors
One way the outdoor culture is beginning to change is through social media. “There’s a really good social media presence of more diverse folks and communities outside,” Mowery said.
One social media community that has been connecting people through the outdoors is the PNW Ladies Adventure Network (PNWLAN). PNWLAN Founder Carolynn Tulluck explained how social media has played an important role in building the community, “Social media definitely plays a big role in connecting with other women; Instagram and Tiktok have been the best way to just get the word out there.”
Although some social media communities are trying to change the culture surrounding outdoor recreation and make it feel more inclusive, the historically exclusive nature of outdoor recreation remains a huge barrier for people who feel underrepresented in outdoor spaces. Many outdoor gear brands continue to perpetuate the image of able-bodied cis white men in outdoor spaces and only depict extreme sports.
Oregon Adaptive Sports
“If you think of mainstream outdoor recreation there still is very little representation of people with disabilities. It’s growing…but it’s still vastly underrepresented,” said Pat Addabbo, Executive Director of Oregon Adaptive Sports (OAS). “People with disabilities represent 20–25% of the population at any given time, and I guarantee if you look on any major outdoor retailer, outdoor brand, outdoor marketing agency, you’re not seeing anywhere near that amount of representation of people with disabilities.” OAS is a non-profit that helps individuals with disabilities participate in outdoor activities.
Representation is the first step toward making lasting change. “We believe that if people with disabilities or organizations like OAS that represent that population have a seat at the table, so to speak, and have active partnerships with organizations such as land management groups…or recreation venues like ski resorts, we can advocate and be a part of that planning and design process,” Addabbo said. “Sometimes the other barriers will actually go away if we can be a part of the process from the beginning.”
Community building and representation are great first steps to breaking down some of the barriers, but there’s still a long way to go before lasting changes are made. Addabbo added, “the way that the system is designed, we rely on fundraising. 90+ percent of our budget comes from donations, sponsorships, and grants, and that’s really what it takes to do what we do.”
The financial barrier is even higher to adaptive sports than standard outdoor recreation. A traditional ski setup costs around $1,500 while a sit-ski, typically used by paraplegic athletes, starts at about $5,000 for the most basic model. “Just because the representation increases, I hope that resonates and people realize that the need is there, and we still need their financial support,” Addabbo said about the relationship between representational barriers and financial barriers.
Many factors that make the outdoors inaccessible are extremely interconnected and root back to systemic and historical issues.
Oregon Adaptive Sports divides the barriers into three main categories: financial, transportation, and advocacy. The organization addresses each challenge in different ways. A grant program and scholarships are available to reduce the high cost of adaptive sporting equipment and other financial costs involved with outdoor recreation.
OAS offers transportation to its athletes to fill the gaps left by public transit. They advocate for their athletes and try to ensure that their needs are taken into consideration.
The Future of Outdoor Recreation
Changes are happening, slowly but surely. More and more organizations are being formed to promote diversity in the outdoors. Many of these changes come from social pressures.
Major outdoor retailers like Washington-based REI and Oregon-based Columbia Sportswear have been partnering with many organizations that help marginalized people get involved with outdoor recreation. Other companies such as Merrell or Machines for Freedom have been expanding their range of sizes so that more people can access outdoor gear, regardless of size.
There is still a long way to go before everyone can feel accepted and welcomed into the outdoors, but finding or creating communities of people who are engaging in outdoor recreation despite adversity is a good place to start.
“Access to the outdoors would be a lot easier if it was approached with a universal mindset,” Addabbo explained. “If we accommodate the person with the highest need, we also accommodate every other person.”
