Industry leaders say outdoor recreation is becoming a major force in the commonwealth’s economy
The history of Pennsylvania was built upon its vast natural resources. Oil, coal, lumber, and natural gas helped build the nation and enrich those who tapped into them, often leaving behind environmental damage that is felt today. Luckily, thanks to those who have worked to conserve, preserve, and reclaim much of our natural landscape, there is still plenty of natural beauty left in the Commonwealth for outdoor recreation, whether that be hiking, fishing, biking, and more.
Now, there is big push to help the state and its citizens make the most of those outdoor recreation opportunities and put Pennsylvania on the map as a leading outdoor recreation destination.
From our trails to our streams and from our bike shops to our ski hills, outdoor recreation is a major driver of the state’s economy, according to organizers of the first-ever Pennsylvania Outdoor Economy Summit and Industry Expo, held in Happy Valley this spring [April].
Summit leaders boast that the outdoor recreation industry contributes more than $20 billion to Pennsylvania’s economy every year and employs more than 177,000 people. That is big business for sure, and it continues to grow. The summit aims to support that growth.
The event marked the first time stakeholders from across the outdoor industry gathering in one place to celebrate, network, and learn. The movement for the event had been building since the creation of Pennsylvania’s Office of Outdoor Recreation in 2023, which — for the first time — dedicated capacity within state government to supporting the outdoor recreation economy.
Then last September, the Outdoor Business Alliance of Pennsylvania was formed, bringing together key outdoor industry players from across the state with a goal of elevating the needs of the state’s outdoor recreation industry and supporting outdoor business development, innovation, and growth. Those ideas and people came together in Happy Valley during the Pennsylvania Outdoor Economy Summit and Industry Expo.
The summit consisted of an Outdoor Industry Expo at Tussey Mountain which was open to the public and featured outdoor recreation businesses, leaders, and organizations from across the state, including local organizations such as DiamondBack Truck Covers, Centre Outdoors, and Purple Lizard Maps.
The expo was followed by two days of panels featuring speakers, Cindy Adams Dunn, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, as well as breakout sessions, followed by field visits to Rothrock State Forest to explore the impact of the expanding trail network and to Philipsburg to examine the outdoor manufacturing hub established by Organic Climbing Company/ Nittany Mountain Works and DiamondBack. These businesses and initiatives highlight why Happy Valley was an ideal place to host this event.
“State College is not just the perfect place to do this geographically but, more importantly it is a natural place to celebrate the outdoor infrastructure with the trails in the state forests, the walkable downtowns, the gateway communities that are the heart of the outdoor recreation economy in Pennsylvania,” says Dr. Silas Chamberlin, interim executive director of the Outdoor Business Alliance. “But we also have these great nonprofit organizations, manufacturers, and other companies that are active in the outdoor space here. State College is kind of a place where it is easy to tie a bow on it and say, ‘This is exactly what we want to see more of across Pennsylvania.’”
Dr. Nathan Reigner, Pennsylvania’s first director of outdoor recreation, adds that Happy Valley is a hub for outdoor entrepreneurs.
“This is also a part of the commonwealth where there’s been a lot of real grassroots initiative to grow an outdoor recreation industry. We have entrepreneurs, we have longtime industry professionals who are all here and together have created a kind of critical mass that we’re really looking to extend across the commonwealth,” Reigner says.
Reigner also states that the event marks the next step in Pennsylvania’s growth as a leader in the outdoor recreation industry.
“From the commonwealth perspective, this marks a coming of age for our outdoor recreation industry and our outdoor economy in Pennsylvania,” Reigner says. “This is the first statewide convening. It is the largest and highest-level meeting of leaders, both in the industry and in Pennsylvania’s economic development community really taking outdoor recreation and delivering it as more than a good time, delivering it as a strategy for economic development, and a tool for industry growth.”
Chamberlin adds the event served to showcase that outdoor recreation is more than just fun and games in the woods, it is a serious economic factor across the state and we are right in the heart of it in Happy Valley.
“You know we are sort of hitting our stride in terms of the outdoor sector emerging as a legitimate industry. With the expo, we’re really showing the breadth of what composes that the economy that drives that $20.4 billion in statewide GDP. It might not be where your mind, you know, goes when you think of outdoor recreation, like your local rail trails. But it is that, or your local bed and breakfast or your local brewery, it is all those things,” Chamberlin says.
“You know, we have manufacturers here that are part of a $3 billion manufacturing economy within our Pennsylvania outdoor sector that’s grown rapidly just in the last couple of years. And I think things like that just go totally under the radar. So, like, part of it is just, even within our own community, making sure everybody understands, here’s how broad and diverse this sector really is. It’s a sector that is emerging and standing on its own and we want the rest of the world to know that.” T&G
Vincent Corso loves exploring the outdoors in Central Pennsylvania and beyond.
