Even as the COVID-induced explosion in outdoor recreation has slowed, exploring opportunities in the great outdoors remains a growing sector.

The question Rebekah Burns posed to local business leaders during a Tuesday Powell Economic Partnership (PEP) talk was: How can we use our outdoor resources responsibly to grow the area’s outdoor recreation economy?

“We are working on developing infrastructure to create market demand, building an industry that will then trickle down for businesses and communities to thrive,” said Burns, the executive director of PEP, Powell Chamber, and the Powell Visitor Center.

The problem is that, according to a recent study, direct access is difficult for casual users. Local outdoor recreation users account for just under 70% of the total users. They know where to find trails, beautiful landscapes and hidden gems. But those coming to Park County have a hard time finding those recreational opportunities, said Wes Allen, co-owner of Sunlight Sports and author of three outdoor recreation books in Park County.

“If you think it's just tourists coming in for information, you're dead wrong. When we talk to people that come into my business and talk to residents that are new to Park County … it’s very rare that I talk to somebody who has figured out where to go,” Allen said. “Because while we have 1,000 miles of trail in the Shoshone [National] Forest, we have another 1,000 miles of trails in Yellowstone and we have unbelievable abundance of BLM land recreation available to us.”

Two years ago, Kiran Darai worked for PEP as an outdoor recreation planner through the AmeriCorps VISTA program. Darai was new to the area. He was given directions to local popular destinations, but finding them on his own was a problem due to the lack of a proper infrastructure.

“One of the first things we did was get him lost,” Burns said. “We gave him the directions that we give to any other visitor and he got real lost, which kind of proves the point.”

Growth in infrastructure is an important part of growing the outdoor recreation industry, she said, which in turn will bring more business to Park County.

“[Wyoming] makes about $2 billion from the outdoor rec industry. In comparison, California makes $77 billion,” Burns said. “We have a huge opportunity for growth.”

Those in attendance on Tuesday broke into smaller groups to discuss what could be done to increase infrastructure and ease of use for visitors, as well as residents who are casual users. The information will be used to propose changes and additions to current recreational opportunities.

Since January, PEP leaders have been pushing for the creation of new trail between the BNSF Railroad and Garland Canal that could ultimately be added to the Great American Rail Trail — a series of connected trails stretching from Washington, D.C. to Washington state. PEP contends that while outdoor recreation in Park County is plentiful, opportunities in Powell are lacking.

A petition circulated by the economic development organization calls on the City of Powell and Park County to invest in the development of the trail. According to PEP’s petition on railstotrails.org, the proposal represents “the unique opportunity to commit to a multiuse trail that can provide safe and convenient outdoor recreation for residents while also catering to long-distance travelers who are following the Great American Rail-Trail.”