| Description |
This research project assesses the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on outdoor recreation in the U.S. intermountain west and Utah, specifically. This is not an epidemiological study, but a unique sociological analysis of outdoor recreation in Utah from March 2020 to August 2021 compared to previous years' trends and somewhat to nearby areas as it is difficult to separate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic from other changes that occurred in the same time frame. March 2020 marked shutdowns and lockdowns throughout the country which changed the way people recreated. Indoor recreation that previously had been commonplace became impossible, ill-advised, or illegal. In 2020 there was a spike in outdoor recreation while there was still a greater unknown with the virus and in 2021 visitation slowed a bit but was still higher than in previous years. The economic impacts of shutdowns were vast, particularly as experienced in towns with economies heavily influenced by tourism. Methods for assessing this include: accessing raw data published by the Utah Department of Natural Resources and the National Park Service, using publicly available Google mobility trends data, comparing Utah parks to others around the country, addressing rules and regulations around closing and reopening parks and other recreation spaces. The study found that outdoor recreation in Utah, as well as many other places around the U.S. and the world, spiked significantly during the pandemic. It primarily increased in visitation to local and state parks with national parks actually seeing a decline in 2020. In 2021, outdoor recreation leveled off, but still remained at a higher level compared to pre-pandemic. Expanding outdoor recreation opportunities benefits participants, and during a pandemic, these outcomes are critically important. |
