People seek out outdoor recreation to connect with nature—to hike forested trails, paddle remote rivers, and camp under the stars. But this pursuit of natural beauty places people and the economies they support in the path of natural hazards like floods and wildfires.
The risks are real and growing. In the United States, communities with strong outdoor recreation economies face nearly twice the risk of floods and wildfire compared to other communities. This year, catastrophic flash floods in Texas’ Guadalupe River basin killed 136 people—nearly one-third of whom were visitors staying at a campground, RV park, or rental cabin. In 2022, historic flooding in Yellowstone National Park shut down access, costing nearby communities $156 million in lost visitor spending. Across the country, when disaster strikes, visitation plummets and often stays low for months. FEMA estimates that 25% of businesses never reopen after a disaster, and another 40% close within a year. Few recreation-dependent communities can absorb this kind of prolonged loss, especially when they rely on visitor tax revenue to fund essential public services.
25% of businesses never reopen after a disaster, and another 40% close within a year.
FEMA estimates
While emergency managers and fire departments are on the front lines, there also is a role for a growing professional category when it comes to preparing for disasters: outdoor recreation professionals. Outdoor guides, recreation planners, state offices of outdoor recreation and regional tourism officials all have a critical role to play in protecting people, landscapes, and the economies that depend on them.
Building a culture of preparedness in the outdoor recreation community
Visitors, second homeowners, and recreationists can be especially challenging to reach during an emergency. They are often unfamiliar with local geography, disconnected from communication networks, and staying in remote locations. Preparing these groups for flood or wildfire starts with embedding emergency thinking into the operations of outdoor recreation professionals.
It can begin during the design phase of projects like campgrounds, trailheads, or river access points. Project design can incorporate evacuation planning, ensuring multiple points of access for visitors to leave and emergency personnel to enter—especially for locations that will host large events. Signs for visitors should explain local risks and evacuation routes, often in multiple languages. Frontline outdoor recreation workers like guides and outfitters are trusted voices among visitors and should be trained to respond in an emergency.
Planning for long-term risk reduction in outdoor recreation
In addition to preparing for the next disaster, the outdoor recreation community has a critical role in proactively reducing the risk of catastrophic damage. Recreation infrastructure can be a powerful tool for hazard mitigation. For example, integrating green infrastructure into project design—like restoring natural floodplains or using permeable parking areas—can help absorb and divert floodwaters. Trails can be designed as fuel breaks or fire access routes to help contain a wildfire before it reaches populated areas.
Some communities are already leading the way by integrating recreational opportunities into disaster risk reduction projects. In Gardiner, Montana, a new pedestrian bridge will double as a way to elevate the town’s water pipeline above flood stage, protecting its essential water supply from damage. By understanding local needs to reduce disaster risks, outdoor recreation leaders can avoid placing new facilities in high-risk areas and find opportunities for recreation infrastructure to serve as dual-purpose projects.
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Partnering for resilience
Emergency managers have established protocols for community disaster preparedness, but as flood and wildfire threats intensify, the safety of tourists, hikers, and hunters will become a rising priority. To effectively address this growing challenge, outdoor recreation professionals should engage with their local emergency managers to coordinate an contribute to solutions.
For example, it will be critical to develop Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) for campgrounds and RV parks, which should include hazard-specific actions and evacuation routes. Including outdoor recreation leaders in local drills and tabletop exercises can help identify weaknesses and improve system-wide coordination. Further, networks of guides, visitors’ centers, and outfitters can serve as critical communication hubs, acting as early warning systems in the initial hours of a disaster.
Integrating outdoor recreation into disaster preparedness and risk reduction is smart planning, and an economic imperative. By anticipating disasters at every trailhead, visitor center, and campground, outdoor recreation professionals can keep our communities safer, protect local economies, and support faster recovery when the next flood or wildfire strikes.
