{"id":159365,"date":"2020-11-24T08:00:14","date_gmt":"2020-11-24T16:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=159365"},"modified":"2021-01-04T15:29:20","modified_gmt":"2021-01-04T23:29:20","slug":"recreate-responsibly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/news\/recreate-responsibly","title":{"rendered":"How to Recreate Responsibly in the Outdoors"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editor’s note: This article was first published on May 21, 2020. It was updated again on November 24, 2020 with the latest best practices for responsible winter recreation<\/i>.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Spending time outdoors has become more important than ever across America. As people limit activities to slow the spread of the coronavirus, they’re finding time in nature to be good for their physical and mental health, and for reconnecting with the outside world.<\/p>\n

People flocked to trails, parks, waterways and other open spaces in the spring, summer and fall. And they continue to do so in winter. But it’s not always easy to know how best to recreate outside during a pandemic.<\/p>\n

To minimize confusion, REI and a coalition of nonprofits, recreation businesses and agencies have come together to summarize and amplify the emerging best practices. They have laid out seven simple guidelines at RecreateResponsibly.org<\/a>. As seasons change, the group have released the winter edition of those guidelines.<\/p>\n

“Since the pandemic began, we’ve seen trail use skyrocket,” said\u00a0Ryan Chao<\/span>, president of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, who is a member of the coalition’s advisory committee, said in a statement. He added that “with more people using these amenities, and many who are new to trails and the outdoors, it’s essential that we all take care to keep each other and our outdoor spaces safe and healthy.”<\/p>\n

The group recommends three steps to take at home:<\/p>\n