Sustainable Outdoor Recreation: Definition, Conceptual Development, and Future Directions

Protected area (PA) managers balance the need to provide quality visitor experiences with other management objectives (e.g., conservation, economic use), particularly in multi-use agencies. Sustainability science has informed PA management, emphasizing consideration of economic, environmental, and social interactions. Sustainable management of outdoor recreation has received far less attention. Moreover, there has been a lack of agreement among PA managers about how sustainable outdoor recreation is defined, operationalized, managed, or monitored. Having a shared understanding of ‘sustainable recreation’ will provide a foundation for PA managers to identify specific sustainability objectives and design strategies in alignment with agency goals. In this review article, we reflect on two decades of outdoor recreation research and synthesize ideas generated by a workshop of outdoor recreation scholars and practitioners. We compare notions of sustainable recreation across PA agencies in the U.S. to demonstrate the need for a unified approach and to inform the selection of appropriate recreation management and planning tools. Our definition of sustainable recreation builds on traditional pillars of sustainability while embracing notions of stewardship and resilience. We conclude by discussing a potential operational model for sustainable recreation and identifying future research needs to advance the field in new directions.