Outdoor Recreation

Abstract

The significance of outdoor recreation is rarely found in prominent legislation or public policy, and it is not a stated priority or strategic initiative of many academic or other institutions. However, outdoor recreation is an important and active field of scholarly activity and is as important as work is to everyday life. Leisure and outdoor recreation are important to personal development, and viewed holistically, they bring ‘a degree of balance to spirit, mind, and body’ (Walmsley and Jenkins, 2003: 279). Outdoor recreation provides opportunities for psychological and spiritual renewal, for testing one’s skills and knowledge, for building family relationships and friendships. Through outdoor recreation, people can explore, and become more familiar with, natural and cultural environments. The relaxation, peace and solitude people experience during outdoor recreation activities in wilderness areas, for example, helps people escape the mundane and reduces stress in daily living. Simultaneously, they gain a greater appreciation of landscapes and ecosystems.KeywordsOutdoor RecreationRecreation OpportunityRecreation DemandVisitor ManagementRecreation ExperienceThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.