Outdoor recreation, from hiking and fishing to golfing and skiing, is integral to the New North’s economy.
Wisconsin’s outdoor recreation industry contributed a record-breaking $9.8 billion to the state’s gross domestic product in 2022, an increase of 6.8% over the previous record set in 2021, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis’s Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account.
And with the variety of outdoor recreation activities in the New North, the region is seeing that growth.
“Outdoor recreation has played a more prominent role in our economy, especially post-COVID when people began looking at different activities to do outside,” said New North, Inc. President and CEO Barb LaMue. “We have a broad range of recreational activities in the region, and it is being featured in many of our talent recruitment testimonials.”
For the past three years, the New North, an 18-county region covering Northeast Wisconsin, saw a net migration of more than 4,000 people annually.
“The population increases were not just in our more urban areas like Green Bay and Appleton, but in our more rural counties, too,” LaMue said. “As we get more reliable broadband coverage, people who have had second homes here have decided to make this their home base. We’re also attracting remote workers who want to live somewhere with plenty of recreational activities.”
Some examples of regional outdoor recreation activities include:
- On the water: Boaters or those interested in fishing can choose from countless sites, including Lake Michigan and Green Bay, which marks the eastern edge of the region; the Fox River and Lake Winnebago system; and the Wolf River and its tributaries. Wisconsin was ranked #3 in non-resident fishing destinations by visiting anglers. (Clean Water Action Council).
- Golf: The region is home to some of the nation’s top golf courses including Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run in Sheboygan County and the Golf Courses of Lawsonia in Green Lake County. Northeast Wisconsin also includes seven of the top 10 national golf courses, according to Golf Digest.
- Hiking and biking: The area is home to 760 miles of trails for people to bike or hike. Some notable hiking spots include the five state parks in Door County, High Cliff State Park in Calumet County, and segments of the national Ice Age National Scenic Trail. Bikers can enjoy the Wiouwash Trail, which runs from Hortonville to Oshkosh, or the Mountain-Bay State Trail, which runs 83 miles from Howard Memorial Park in Brown County to Weston, near Wausau.
- Winter fun: The Ariens Nordic Center near Brillion features 5 kilometers of lighted trails for cross-country skiing and winter fat biking, a state-of-the-art 20-point Kurvinen Biathlon Target System, 3.5 kilometers of paved trails for roller skiing, inline skating, running, and walking. Many counties also have snowmobile trails — Oconto County has more than 450 miles alone — for those looking for winter adventures.
- The region’s recreational activities attract visitors from the Midwest and beyond who contribute to the local economy by spending money at hotels, restaurants, stores, and gas stations. In fact, a recent report by Wisconsin’s Department of Tourism showed that Wisconsin tourism generated a record-breaking and historic economic impact of $25 billion in 2023, breaking a previous record of 23.7 billion.
We know that tourism supports our local economy, but it can also play a role in attracting talent to our region. It provides visitors with an opportunity to experience the culture and vibrancy of New North destinations in an authentic way.
What better way to get a glimpse into what life is like in a community than by visiting it in person? Area residents benefit from the close proximity of the different activities as well, which is one reason why the New North ranks so high on quality-of-life rankings.
To discover more outdoor adventures in the New North, you can visit a featured landing page for each of our 18 counties on our home page, or follow the adventures of Seth and other travel bloggers in our #FindYourTrueNorth page, Instagram and TikTok.
Renee Torzala
Vice President, Marketing & Investor Relations
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