Colorado's outdoor recreation economy is worth $18.1B

Outdoor recreation contributed $18.1 billion to Colorado's economy in 2024, according to recent U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis data.

Why it matters: The total amounts to 3.3% of the state's GDP and puts Colorado 10th in the nation for the size of its outdoor recreation economy.

The big picture: Nationwide, the industry accounted for 2.4% of the U.S. GDP in 2024, with a valuation of $1.3 trillion.

• The states where outdoor recreation accounted for the highest shares of GDP were Hawai'i (6.1%), Alaska (5.3%) and Montana (4.9%).

Zoom in: "Snow activities" were the top category in Colorado and added $1.6 billion to the state's economy.