New research by student travel company, Rustic Pathways, has revealed the US states whose residents are most adventurous, showcasing a unique work-life balance driven by the pursuit of outdoor activities.
The study analyzed Google Keyword Planner data from the last 12 months related to adventurous activities like hiking, mountain climbing, backpacking, scuba diving, skydiving, camping, and various snow sports. The research looked at search volume for the activities themselves, the locations where they can be enjoyed, and even the equipment needed.
Notably, a recent survey from the Outdoor Industry Association found that 53% of Americans engaged in outdoor recreation in 2023, reflecting a growing trend towards prioritizing mental health and well-being through nature.
Colorado has been crowned the state with the most avidly adventurous residents. Over the last 12 months, residents of the state carried out searches for the analyzed terms over 250,000 times per month on average. This equates to 4,509 searches per 100,000 Coloradans each month, the highest rate across the nation, and 97% more than the average search rate across US states. As with most states, the most commonly searched term in Colorado was “camping” with over 46,000 monthly average searches.
Oregon has the second-most adventurous population. Over the past 12 months, the Beaver State has seen almost 185,000 searches per month for terms indicating adventurous intentions. This makes for a search rate of 4,358 per 100,000 Oregonians, 90% above the US state average. Hiking proved a popular pastime in Oregon with residents searching “hiking trails near me” almost 19,000 times, on average, each month.
In third place, Vermont’s relatively small population carried out close to 27,000 searches each month for the terms, equating to 4,139 searches per 100,000 Vermonters, 80% more than the average US state. Residents of the state showed significant interest in “hiking” and “mountain biking,” which were some of the most searched in the state.
In Utah, an average of close to 135,000 searches were carried out for the studied terms per month; 3,968 per 100,000 residents of the state. The state’s most searched activity was also camping, which was searched close to 20,000 times on average by its residents each month.
The top five most adventurous states are rounded out by Washington, where residents searched the terms over 308,000 times a month at a rate of 3,947 per 100,000. “Hiking near me” was an incredibly popular search in the Evergreen State, seeing over 30,000 searches on average each month.
The most adventurous states in America
In sixth place, Montana residents searched for adventurous activity-related terms over 43,000 times, on average, per month. This is a per 100,000 resident rate of 3,836. The most popular searches in the state pertained to camping, with the terms “camping” and “camping near me” coming in as the most searched.
Wyoming sees an average of just over 21,000 searches per month for the terms, 3,633 searches per 100,000 residents, the seventh-highest rate nationwide. Wyomingites also appear keen on “RV camping”, this came in as one of the state’s most searched terms.
Following in eighth is Idaho, where residents searched terms close to 64,000 times a month or 3,235 times per 100,000 Idahoans.
The New England states of New Hampshire and Maine round out the top ten. New Hampshirites seek adventure online through the terms at an average monthly rate of 3,221 searches per 100,000, and Mainers do so at a rate of 3,181 searches per 100,000.
Shayne Fitz-Coy, CEO of Rustic Pathways, commented on the findings: “It’s certainly interesting to see the states containing the most adventurous populations. Several of these top ten states are somewhat synonymous with outdoor, extreme, and venturesome activities and sports, so it’s interesting to truly prove that in catering for adventurous activities, they inspire an adventurous populace and attract those seeking adventure.”
