About Us

Choose Outdoors is a non-profit organization located in Denver, Colorado. It was created to help unite the many diverse interests using our public lands with emphasis on promoting and preserving access, use and the future of outdoor recreation on our public lands.

Mission

Choose Outdoors provides support for our nation’s public lands by promoting outdoor recreation and active lifestyles. We do this through:

1. Working directly with agencies and partners to create effective outdoor education, learning, volunteer opportunities, and experiences for people of all ages;
2. Advocating in favor of outdoor recreation and bring together the support of industries associated with the outdoors; and
3. Supporting investments in recreation programs and infrastructure to promote active lifestyles.

Vision

Reinvigorate America’s participation, appreciation, and support for all the outdoor recreation activities that connect them to public lands. Through these activities, American’s will seek to engage in healthy, active lifestyles and outdoor recreation events that benefit them as well as future generations.

Key Priorities

1. Creating public/private partnerships. Dwindling budgets are impacting design and maintenance of our public lands and the programs that serve the entire outdoor recreation community. We seek to help bridge this gap.
2. Youth and the Outdoors. We want to replace screen-time with time in nature, and to bridge the chasm between our kids and their exposure to nature. Ultimately, we want a future in which nature deficit disorder” is no longer a growing concern for America’s youth and their families.
3. Re-introduce all Americans to the great outdoors. There is an alarming pattern of public health issues attributed to inactive lifestyles, and we know that when people get outdoors their minds and bodies are stimulated, making them healthier.
4. The support of the American public for the treasures of this Nation’s public lands that provide the opportunity for outdoor recreation. If we don’t continue to support our public lands we will loose them. 

The Challenge

Outdoor recreation advocates have struggled to work collectively toward common goals, often confounded by competing interests and long-standing rivalries. Too often the result of this friction is inadequate funding for outdoor recreation programs and too little focus on its contribution to public health and well-being; complicated land management policies; conflicting and contradictory messages; and frustrated legislators and constituents. As long as outdoor recreation groups continue to work at cross-purposes, we will lack a strong and unified voice. Choose Outdoors believes that the time has come for a new alliance of outdoor interests embracing a 21st century vision of recreation management and cooperation on our public lands.

The Opportunity

Times are changing and new opportunities exist to unify all who love the great outdoors and Choose Outdoors believes now is the time to act. We believe that as a community, we can create a new 21st century vision for recreation management and cooperation as a key step toward unifying diverse recreation interests and increasing support for recreation programs and policies. 

Most agree with the central theme, which has emerged over and over again: the increasing disconnect between people, especially young people, and the land. Coupled with this disconnect is the concern over the relevance of our public lands. These national treasures will not be relevant to Americans who have little awareness or appreciation for the benefits of our public lands. The implications of this disconnect affect physical and emotional health, stewardship values, and economics.

We must take advantage of this unique opportunity to coalesce the outdoor recreation community with a common sense of purpose.