Every June, Americans across the country get outdoors during Great Outdoors Month, a month-long celebration of responsible, healthy outdoor recreation on local, state and federal lands and waters.
The recognition, which began in 1998 under President Bill Clinton as Great Outdoors Week, has grown over the years into a month-long celebration of America’s public lands and waters at the national, state and local levels with thousands of events across the country. Five consecutive presidents, including President Joe Biden, have issued Great Outdoors Month proclamations, and each year the Senate designates June as a month to celebrate the outdoors and recognize outdoor recreation’s contributions to the mental, physical and economic health of the nation.
Great Outdoors Month is coordinated by the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable and includes events held throughout the month, including:
- National Park Trusts’ Kids to Parks Day
- National Go RVing Day
- American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day
- National Fishing and Boating Week, coordinated by the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation
- National Get Outdoors Day, coordinated by ORR and the U.S. Forest Service
- National Marina Days, coordinated by the Association of Marina Industries
- National Wildlife Federation’s Great American Campout
Some events—like National Marina Days and The Great American Campout—last all summer.
Many Americans are continuing to prioritize spending time outdoors, just as they have over the past two years. It’s as good a time as ever to shine a spotlight on the industry that helps connect with nature, families, communities, health and wellness, and served as a respite from quarantines and stay at home orders. The outdoor recreation industry didn’t just grow over COVID-19, it improved quality of life, created jobs and upheld economies across the country, the RV Industry Association said.
“While we are celebrating these accomplishments for our nation’s public lands and waters, rural communities and the outdoor recreation industry, we must also acknowledge that the pandemic has not been an economic boom for every community, business or employee, and not every American has the same access to the outdoors,” RVIA said in a release. “We take this to heart, and it is why we as an industry are focused on working with rural communities to build or improve their outdoor recreation economies through resources like our rural economic development toolkit.”
This year, Great Outdoors Month will also focus on the principles of Together Outdoors, working to grow diversity, equity and inclusion in outdoor recreation through education and action. By orienting around these principles, RVIA said it can ensure People of Color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, the disability community and marginalized people of various backgrounds and faiths feel welcome in the outdoors and have their stories told.
It is also why RVIA partnered with outdoor recreation industry businesses to create the Together Outdoors coalition to raise awareness of equity and inclusion issues in outdoor experiences and awareness to help eliminate existing barriers.
“These past years have reminded us all how important getting outside is to our mental, physical and economic health. The realization policy makers are having through Great Outdoors Month resolutions, proclamations and GAOA investments is truly cause for celebration,” RVIA said. “We look forward to continuing to work with Congress, the administration, and outdoor recreationists new and old to fully realize the potential of outdoor recreation to help our nation recover, rebuild and reconnect in the coming years.”
Learn more about Great Outdoors Month here.
