Topicality. The current state of socio-economic development demonstrates awareness of the need harmonious solving economic and environmental issues that arise as a result of recreational nature-use management; necessitates the search for scientific approaches to the classification of natural recreational resources, as well as the transformation and diversification of the recreational and tourist sphere functioning. Aim and tasks. Aim: deepening and analysis of scientific approaches to the classification of natural recreational resources in the context of rational nature use and the recreational and tourist activities development. Tasks: to classify natural recreational resources on the grounds of exhaustibility, renewability, reproduction, setting restrictions on forms and property rights and their possible diversification in recreational and tourist activities. Research results. The state of socio-economic and ecological interaction, the increase of society's needs in recreational resources and facilities cause the need for targeted use of natural resource capital to meet the needs of the population - in recreational nature-use management. Three functions of recreational nature-use management (social, economic and nature protection) are defined, their maintenance is opened. The distribution of environmental elements on natural resources and natural conditions, which is quite conditional, has been studied. According to the review and analysis of classification criteria and characteristics, approaches to classification are systematized, namely: physical-geographical aspect, economic effect, economic-legal, environmental and social factors. The classification of natural recreational resources is given in context of ownership relations and economic interests between the subjects of recreational and tourist sphere and from the possible diversification side of natural recreational resources use. Conclusion. Thus, since the classification of natural recreational resources and conditions allows to identify patterns of different resources combination, determine the economic benefits of their use, opportunities for alternative, including recreational, use, as well as draw conclusions about the rational use, conservation and prospects of diversification, prospects for territory development priorities and communities located on them.