Canada’s outdoor recreation picture spans everyday activities close to home, wilderness pursuits, national parks and domestic travel. Statistics from 2016 through fiscal 2024–25 show broad participation in hiking, wildlife viewing, camping and water activities, alongside substantial travel and household spending connected with recreation.
Contents
- National participation in outdoor activities
- The most popular outdoor pursuits
- Activities close to home
- Parks Canada visitation and visitor experience
- Domestic travel linked to leisure and recreation
- Household recreation spending
- Tourism and the economic role of parks
National participation in outdoor activities
Statistics Canada’s Canadians and the outdoors reports participation in outdoor or wilderness activities in 2016. The figures measure the share of Canadians participating in different numbers of activity types, rather than the number of outings or the amount of time spent outdoors.
In 2016, 41% of Canadians participated in three or more kinds of outdoor or wilderness activities. Another 15% participated in two kinds, while 18% participated in one kind. These categories describe the breadth of participation reported during the measurement period; they should not be added to activity-specific figures as if they represented separate people across every table.
The same source shows a clear association between reported health status and outdoor participation. Outdoor or wilderness activity participation was reported by 80% of Canadians describing their health as excellent and 79% of those describing it as very good. The share was 71% among people reporting good health, 60% among those reporting fair health and 41% among those reporting poor health.
These are descriptive participation statistics for 2016. They do not establish that outdoor activity caused a particular health outcome, and they do not indicate how often people participated.
Source: Canadians and the outdoors, Statistics Canada, 2016.
The most popular outdoor pursuits
Hiking or backpacking was the most widely reported activity in the 2016 national figures, with 44% of Canadians participating. Wildlife viewing or photography followed at 32%, and tent camping was reported by 24%.
Fishing and canoeing or kayaking each reached 22%. Motor boating or jet skiing accounted for 20%, while snowmobiling or other off-road vehicle use accounted for 17%. Foraging for food was reported by 16% of Canadians.
Mountain biking and snowshoeing or cross-country skiing each reached 13%. The range illustrates how Canadian outdoor recreation includes both land-based and water-based activities, as well as pursuits associated with winter conditions.
| Activity | Canadians participating in 2016 |
|---|---|
| Hiking or backpacking | 44% |
| Wildlife viewing or photography | 32% |
| Tent camping | 24% |
| Fishing | 22% |
| Canoeing or kayaking | 22% |
| Motor boating or jet skiing | 20% |
| Snowmobiling or other off-road vehicle use | 17% |
| Foraging for food | 16% |
| Mountain biking | 13% |
| Snowshoeing or cross-country skiing | 13% |
The activity percentages come from the 2016 national survey and use the activity groupings shown by Statistics Canada. They are not current participation estimates for 2026 and should not be read as a ranking of individual parks or destinations.
Source: Canadians and the outdoors, Statistics Canada, 2016.
Activities close to home
Statistics Canada measured outdoor activities close to home by Canadian household income in 2019. Across the population, 59% of Canadian households participated in outdoor activities close to home. Walking was especially common, reported by 56% of households.
Bicycling was reported by 34% of households. Hiking and swimming, beach-going, surfing, scuba diving or snorkeling each reached 26%. A broader group of activities—jogging, running, rollerblading or cross-country running—was reported by 22% of households.
Field or court sports, including soccer, basketball, volleyball and hockey, accounted for 17%. Golfing, croquet, lawn darts, lawn bowling or bocci reached 13%. Water activities close to home—including boating, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, rafting, rowing or related activities—reached 12%.
Winter and motorized activities were less common in this close-to-home measure. Six percent of households participated in skiing, snowboarding or telemark, 5% used an all-terrain vehicle, and 3% participated in snowmobiling.
| Close-to-home activity | Canadian households participating in 2019 |
|---|---|
| Any outdoor activities close to home | 59% |
| Walking | 56% |
| Bicycling | 34% |
| Hiking | 26% |
| Swimming and related activities | 26% |
| Jogging and related running activities | 22% |
| Field or court sports | 17% |
| Golfing and related lawn activities | 13% |
| Water activities | 12% |
| Skiing, snowboarding or telemark | 6% |
| All-terrain vehicle use | 5% |
| Snowmobiling | 3% |
The table describes household participation, not the proportion of individual household members participating. Several categories also combine multiple activities, so the figures are not mutually exclusive.
Source: Table 4.7: Participation in outdoor activities close to home, by household income, 2019, Statistics Canada, 2019.
Parks Canada visitation and visitor experience
Parks Canada places received 23.2 million visitors in fiscal year 2024–25. National parks accounted for 15 million visits, while national historic sites received 8.2 million visitors. The agency reported visitors from 100 places around the world.
Total visitation in fiscal 2024–25 was 2% below the 23.7 million recorded in fiscal 2023–24. National-park visitation fell 7% from the previous fiscal year. These are year-over-year comparisons for Parks Canada reporting periods, not calendar-year tourism totals.
Visitor experience measures were strong among surveyed domestic visitors in fiscal 2024–25. Ninety-three percent reported enjoying their visit, and 95% expressed overall satisfaction. Ninety-one percent planned to return the following year, while 95% said they would recommend the place to others.
The visitor-experience percentages apply to domestic visitors surveyed by Parks Canada. They should be read as survey results, not as a satisfaction rate for every person counted in total visitation. The total visitor figure also covers Parks Canada places broadly, including national parks and national historic sites.
Source: Parks Canada’s 2024–25 Departmental results report, Parks Canada, fiscal 2024–25.
Domestic travel linked to leisure and recreation
Canadian residents took 71.0 million domestic trips in the fourth quarter of 2024. Domestic trips represented 88.4% of all trips by Canadian residents during that quarter, showing the scale of travel within Canada compared with trips outside the country.
Of the 71.0 million domestic trips, 26.0 million were overnight trips and 45.1 million were same-day trips. The difference matters for planning: a same-day outing and an overnight journey can both be counted as domestic travel while involving very different accommodation and transportation needs.
Visiting friends or relatives was the main purpose for 45.7% of domestic trips. Holiday, leisure or recreation was the main purpose for 30.3%. These purpose categories indicate why trips were taken; they do not mean every leisure trip involved a national park or a wilderness activity.
Canadian residents spent $16.2 billion on domestic travel in the fourth quarter of 2024. Average spending per domestic trip was $228. The average is across the reported domestic trips and should not be treated as a typical accommodation price or as the cost of a particular outdoor itinerary.
Source: The Daily — National Travel Survey, fourth quarter 2024, Statistics Canada, Q4 2024.
Household recreation spending
Canadian households spent an average of $5,231 on recreation in 2023. Average household recreation spending increased 23.9% from 2021 to 2023. Recreation is a broad spending category, so this measure is wider than spending on parks, camping or outdoor equipment alone.
Accommodation away from home averaged $910 per household in 2023, and average household spending in this category increased 129.2% from 2021 to 2023. The accommodation measure is relevant to travel planning, but it is separate from the broader recreation total.
Household resources varied substantially by income quintile. Households in the highest income quintile spent an average of $123,447 on goods and services in 2023, compared with $40,080 for households in the lowest income quintile. Recreation accounted for 7.7% of total consumption for the highest income quintile and 5.4% for the lowest income quintile.
Because the figures are averages, they do not describe every household or show the price of an individual trip. The percentage changes compare 2023 with 2021 and should not be extended to later years without newer data.
Source: The Daily — Survey of Household Spending, 2023, Statistics Canada, 2023.
Tourism and the economic role of parks
Parks can support local economies through visitor spending as well as recreation and conservation experiences. Parks Canada’s report gives a location-specific estimate for Jasper National Park and the Municipality of Jasper in 2019.
Tourism associated with Jasper National Park and the Municipality of Jasper generated an estimated $523 million in tourism spending in 2019. The same estimate attributed $450 million in GDP to tourism and supported an estimated 5,100 jobs. It also generated an estimated $69 million in taxes.
These figures are estimates for 2019 and relate specifically to tourism associated with Jasper National Park and the Municipality of Jasper. They are not national totals, are not fiscal 2024–25 results, and should not be used as a current estimate for every Canadian national park. The year and geography are essential when comparing these figures with newer visitation or travel statistics.
Source: Parks Canada’s 2024–25 Departmental results report, Parks Canada, 2019 estimate.