Six primary data sources — each covering a distinct lane of the $1.3T outdoor recreation economy. The complete evidentiary foundation behind the Hitch to Home investment thesis.
The government-grade benchmark for the outdoor recreation economy — and the only measure constructed on the same methodology as the U.S. GDP accounts. The BEA's Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account (ORSA) was established by Congressional mandate (Outdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact Act, 2016) and has been published annually since 2017. In 2024, outdoor recreation generated $1.3 trillion in gross output and $697 billion in value added, representing 2.4% of U.S. GDP. The sector supported 5.2 million jobs and has grown 36% in real terms since 2012 — outpacing the overall U.S. economy. Larger than agriculture and forestry, motor vehicle manufacturing, and air transportation combined.
The definitive annual measure of who is going outside, how often, and which activities are growing. Published for over 15 years, the OIA Participation Trends Report is the most comprehensive source of data on outdoor engagement in America. In 2024, a record 181 million Americans participated in outdoor recreation — 57.3% of all Americans aged six and older. Core participants (the most frequent and committed outdoorists) grew for the first time in over a decade. Since 2019, the participant base has expanded by 27.5 million people, with total outings increasing by approximately 900 million. Gen Z grew 6% year-over-year. Seniors grew 7.4% — the most durable long-term trend in the data.
The ground-level consumer demand signal — the largest annual survey of camping and outdoor hospitality behavior in North America. Based on 4,088 completed surveys across U.S. and Canadian households. In 2025, more than 52 million North American households camped, exceeding pre-pandemic participation levels and generating $66 billion in local community spending — a $5 billion increase over 2024. 49% of campers booked a trip specifically to improve mental wellbeing. 77% say "just being in nature is enough." Average daily expenditures exceeded $200 per person. Glamping accounted for 29% of all camping experiences. 31% of campers plan to increase nights outdoors in 2026.
Headwaters Economics is an independent, nonprofit research group specializing in community development and land management economics. Their outdoor recreation analysis translates BEA satellite account data into state-by-state GDP contribution, employment, wages, and community impact metrics — with interactive tools and downloadable reports for every state. In 2024, outdoor recreation generated $697 billion in value added — nearly four times the size of air transportation, more than three and a half times motor vehicle manufacturing, and two and a half times agriculture and forestry. Because Headwaters is an independent nonprofit producing original analysis (not an industry trade group), their framing carries a credibility that industry-generated numbers do not.
The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable is the nation's leading coalition of outdoor recreation trade associations, representing 80 member organizations and more than 110,000 outdoor businesses. ORR is the industry's primary voice in Washington and the source of the most compelling single-sentence argument for the sector's scale: outdoor recreation on federal public lands and waters generates $351 million per day for the U.S. economy. The 2025 Annual Report documents the passage of the EXPLORE Act — the most comprehensive update to outdoor recreation policy in U.S. history — 24 states with dedicated Offices of Outdoor Recreation, and a coalition of 312 businesses that mobilized Congress on public lands access. The bipartisan political durability of this sector is an underappreciated risk-reduction factor for investors in outdoor infrastructure.
The RV Industry Association tracks the person at mile marker one of the Hitch to Home arc: the American who hitches something to their truck and goes. RVing has been the single largest contributor to the conventional outdoor recreation economy for two consecutive years according to BEA's own data. The RVs Move America Economic Impact Study puts the industry's total U.S. economic contribution at $140 billion annually. 2025 shipments reached 342,220 units — the third consecutive year of growth. The most investor-relevant data point: the median age of new RV buyers has dropped to just 32 years old. Combined with KOA's finding that Gen Z and millennials constitute 61% of new campers, this establishes a generational convergence argument that frames the Hitch to Home arc as a forward market play.
The federal government confirms the macro scale. OIA confirms the participation base. KOA confirms the consumer motivation. Headwaters confirms the community impact. ORR confirms the political durability. RVIA confirms the customer demographic. No single source tells the whole story. Together they make the case that the outdoor recreation economy is large, growing, demographically young, wellness-motivated, bipartisan, and underserved by product innovation at the infrastructure level. That is exactly the gap the Hitch to Home arc is designed to fill.