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Wyoming Outdoor Recreation Business Needs Assessment and Opportunities
Doherty, Katie Li, Enhao Watsabaugh, Carter Salerno, Thomas Muyapa, Ruth
Doherty, Katie
Li, Enhao
Watsabaugh, Carter
Salerno, Thomas
Muyapa, Ruth
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Abstract
This report is the first comprehensive outdoor business needs assessment ever conducted for Wyoming. The report was developed through a partnership between the University of Wyoming Jay Kemmerer WORTH Institute and Founded Outdoors, with research contributions from students in the UW Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Management degree capstone class. Findings draw on a survey of 111 Wyoming outdoor businesses and in-depth interviews with 19 owners across 18 counties.
Outdoor recreation’s share of Wyoming’s total GDP was 4.5% in 2024 the 5th highest in the country, generating $2.3 billion and employing 16,545 or 5.5% of total wage and salary employment (the fourth highest percentage in the US). However, Wyoming’s growth in GDP contribution and employment consistently ranks close to last nationally.
Wyoming's outdoor business landscape is dominated by experienced operators - nearly three-quarters have been in business for more than a decade - underscoring the need to support new business formation, entrepreneurship pipelines, and succession planning for veterans nearing the end of their careers.
Business health is mixed. Seasonality, weather and climate disruptions, and marketing were the most cited operational challenges. Other common challenges were workforce shortages driven by housing costs and seasonal employment patterns and work life balance or burnout. Retail businesses face additional pressure from e-commerce competition, tariffs, and big-box retailers.
Two-thirds of business owners were either unaware of existing support resources, did not use them, or found them to have limited impact. 46% didn’t use any outside capital in build their businesses. Greater outdoor-specific programming and stronger promotion of organizations such as WYORBA could substantially improve participation and value delivered to Wyoming's outdoor businesses.
Business needs vary meaningfully by region: Gateway businesses are stretched thin by demand, West-region businesses report greater financial stress, and East-region businesses are often less connected to support networks. Across interviews, a consistent theme was outdoor recreation's undervalued economic role in Wyoming's policy landscape, with the industry frequently deprioritized in permitting, land use, and economic development decisions.
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Date
2026-05-29
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Jay Kemmerer WORTH Institute, Founded Outdoors
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Keywords
Outdoor Recreation,Wyoming Visitor Economy,Outdoor Businesses,WORTH Institute Research,Wyoming Outdoor Recreation