Join us for the Healthy Communities Summit

The second Wisconsin Healthy Communities Summit is April 29, 2024 at UW-Madison's Memorial Union. Co-sponsored with the Wisconsin Bike Fed, this one-day event is stacked with breakout sessions, speakers and active workshops that will arm you with inspiration and tools for change. Hear keynote speaker Jessie Singer share how infrastructure design can make communities safer. Learn more and register today!

WDNR Grants Webinar

Questions about LWCF or RTP? A new webinar helps local governments navigate the May 1 application process.

Workforce Attraction Tool

Find that competitive edge in the Wisconsin job market. Live + Work Where you Play: Outside in Wisconsin is a free tool leveraging outdoor recreation to help you attract the best talent. Click here to view the publication.

About the Office

Uniting Wisconsin's diverse outdoor industry stakeholders and providing support and resources to position Wisconsin as a top outdoor recreation destination and grow the industry to ensure the economic health and overall well-being of the state and its residents. Learn more.

Economic Impacts

Wisconsin’s $9.8 billion outdoor recreation industry is a driving force for the state’s economy, employing more than 94,000 Wisconsinites. Learn more about the impact of the outdoor recreation industry. View our economic impact data and reports.

Uniting an Industry

The Office of Outdoor Recreation acts as a central hub for Wisconsin’s outdoor industry, drawing connections between the brands that call Wisconsin home, the outdoor recreation activities they support and the communities in which we recreate.

With over 15,000 lakes, 84,000 miles of rivers and streams and 6 million acres of public land, Wisconsin's natural assets are remarkable. It’s no wonder outdoor recreation is a top reason people visit Wisconsin, as well as a key factor in relocation, second home purchases and business attraction. There is a direct connection between these natural resources, how we enjoy them, and the economic health and overall well-being of our state and its residents. The Office of Outdoor Recreation works with partners to support and uplift this essential industry.

Aligning Around Four Key Tenets

The Office partners with a variety of stakeholders to create engagement and alignment around four key tenets:

Invite residents, visitors, businesses, and workforce talent to live, work and play in Wisconsin – to experience the state’s natural places and vast outdoor recreation offerings – to stimulate economic development.

Connect people to Wisconsin’s natural places and outdoor recreation opportunities through access and education with a focus on inclusion.

Thrive when active lifestyles and outdoor recreation are promoted to create healthy individuals and communities.

Sustain Wisconsin’s invaluable natural assets by encouraging outdoor recreation, the connection to place and the preservation of healthy lands and waters.