Sep 19, 2022 3 min read

During the pandemic, Ohiopyle State Park in Fayette County saw a record number of visitors as folks looked for ways to find some sense of normalcy.

While those numbers have gone down somewhat over the past couple of years, state officials are hoping to capitalize on the myriad of outdoor recreational activities available across Pennsylvania with the formation of the Recreation Engagement Coalition (REC).

“Public lands are at the heart of outdoor recreation, making it critical that the (Department of Conservation and Natural Resources) continues to focus on strategic growth and coordination to ensure the outdoors are welcoming and accessible to all Pennsylvanians and visitors,” state Director of Outdoor Recreation Nathan Reigner said last week.

Ohiopyle State Park in Farmington is one of the 121 free state parks in Pennsylvania run by the DCNR. In 2020, the park saw a significant rise in attendance with an estimated 1.367 million people visiting during the COVID-19 pandemic. While that number dropped to an estimated 882,914 visitors last year, it was still higher than average, said Ken Bisbee, the park’s operations manager.

“Although the numbers are down from 2020 and 2021, they still aren’t quite down to the same level as 2019, and with a rainy summer in mind, that tells me that people are appreciating state parks and outdoor recreation more now that they did before the pandemic,” Bisbee said.

“People need the outdoors,” said DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn, noting that being in nature can help relieve stress, which increases overall health.

Her sentiments were echoed by Acting Pennsylvania Health Secretary and Physician General Dr. Denise Johnson, who said there’s no question that outdoor recreation is critical to good health.

She said outdoor recreation can improve mental health, strengthen bodies, help control chronic diseases, help with cognitive decline and has other immediate and long-terms benefits.

“So we want to make sure we incorporate outdoor recreation in our pursuit of a healthy Pennsylvania for all,” Johnson said.

Department of Community and Economic Development Executive Deputy Secretary Michael Hanna Jr. said, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, outdoor recreation contributes $11.8 billion to the economy and creates about 150,000 jobs.

“So you can see from a raw-data perspective, outdoor recreation is a huge part of our economy,” Hanna said, adding that’s especially true in many rural areas where such recreation also invites tourism, new residents and businesses. “We have something for every kind of outdoor lover in Pennsylvania.”

He said the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis ranks Pennsylvania in the top 15 states for all nine outdoor recreation categories and in the Top 10 for six outdoor recreation categories.

“That gives Pennsylvania a huge competitive advantage,” Hanna said.