DENVER - On December 19, 2024, Governor Polis and Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) released the 2025 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP), which outlines a path to ensure Colorado’s exceptional outdoor experiences remain world-class for current and future generations. 

“Outdoor recreation is a major economic driver in Colorado and this report shows just how big of an impact outdoor recreation has, supporting 40,000 jobs and generating billions in revenue. This plan lays out a strategic path forward to ensure that everyone can enjoy our great outdoors while building on this economic success. Through this plan, CPW and our administration will continue to improve recreational opportunities that ensure Coloradans and visitors are able to enjoy our world-class outdoors and beautiful landscapes while conserving our resources for future generations,” said Governor Jared Polis. 

According to the report, in 2023 outdoor recreation generated $65.8 billion in economic output; $36.5 billion in GDP (8.5% of the entire state GDP); supported 40,000 jobs (12.5% of the labor force); and generated $11.2 billion in local, state, and federal tax revenue. 

Following the release of two economic reports showing the importance of outdoor recreation to Colorado’s economy - a SCORP study and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Outdoor Recreation Satellite account - the SCORP presents a five-year action plan with four key priorities for ensuring that recreation remains world class in the state. These priorities are: 1) Access and Opportunity, 2) Stewardship, 3) Land, Water and Wildlife Conservation, and 4) Financial Sustainability. 

“With this statewide plan, Colorado Parks and Wildlife conducted extensive research and stakeholder engagement in order to better understand how outdoor recreation resources meet the needs of Coloradans, as well as the challenges and opportunities faced by land managers,” said CPW Director Jeff Davis. “As the 2025 SCORP confirms, outdoor recreation is essential to Colorado's economy and quality of life and CPW looks forward to putting this plan into action to ensure that recreation remains outstanding for future generations.” 

This plan was written with extensive input from land managers, outdoor recreation providers, user groups, nonprofit organizations and other stakeholders. Priorities and action items reflect the top issues identified by extensive partner engagement. As part of the plan’s development, 479 land managers participated in a survey earlier this year representing local parks, open space, and state and federal public lands. According to the survey, land managers identified trails as a top priority, including the need to invest in maintenance, development of new trails and connections for existing trails through loops and networks. Managers also identified visitor safety, the need for improved access and infrastructure for Americans with disabilities, and the need for more capacity and funding for management and infrastructure. 

While growth in outdoor recreation has slowed since the COVID pandemic, people are still enjoying Colorado’s outdoors in growing numbers. According to the 2025 SCORP public survey, 72% of Coloradans recreate outdoors once a week or more. The SCORP applauds Coloradans getting outdoors and spending time in nature, while also presenting actions to ensure that the outdoors support wildlife, species biodiversity and ecosystem function. Since the last SCORP was released five years ago, Colorado has seen extensive wildfires, drought and flooding which have caused trail closers and displaced recreational activities. Among the priorities presented in the 2025 SCORP, strategies call out building a stewardship ethic, integrating climate resilience into recreation planning and management, and building capacity for government and nongovernmental organizations that provide for and support outdoor recreation in Colorado. 

“Colorado Parks and Wildlife is greatly appreciative to the contributions of everyone involved in the creation and publication of the 2025 SCORP, including members of the Colorado Outdoor Partnership and the many other organizational partners who provided valuable input,” said Fletcher Jacobs, Assistant Director for CPW Outdoor Recreation and Lands. “Together, the partners identified priority areas and outlined the goals, objectives and strategies necessary to balance the needs of those who live and recreate in Colorado with the needs of the wildlife and landscapes that make Colorado recreation exceptional,” Jacobs said. 

Colorado continues to advance nation-leading outdoor recreation and conservation efforts and the 2025 SCORP is both informed by and informs coordinated efforts such as the ongoing work with Colorado's Outdoors Strategy among many other efforts. To read the full SCORP, including priorities and research findings on outdoor recreation in Colorado, go to: cpw.state.co.us/plans-and-reports