This paper presents a comprehensive assessment of the economic contributions of the major forms of human-powered outdoor recreation, including trail-based recreation, bicycle-based recreation, paddle-based recreation, snow-based recreation and camp-based recreation. The results show that the combined economic contributions of human-powered recreation to the US economy exceed US$590 billion annually in total gross output, supporting over five million jobs. Other studies estimate that wildlife-based recreation contributes another US$140 billion annually in total gross output to the US economy, making a total contribution of US$730 billion from both human-powered and wildlife-based recreation. Active outdoor recreation not only strengthens the US economy but also improves the quality of life for participants.
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