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Why It Matters
Wyoming’s outdoor recreation sector supports more than 16,500 workers and contributes meaningfully to the state’s economy, but a new industry study reveals that many small business owners are navigating serious obstacles — from staffing shortages and seasonal income swings to regulatory burdens and financing gaps.
The findings carry practical weight for rural Wyoming communities where outdoor tourism and recreation services often serve as economic anchors, particularly in counties far from major urban centers.
What Happened
The Jay Kemmerer Wyoming Outdoor Recreation Tourism and Hospitality (WORTH) Institute commissioned a statewide business assessment, conducted by the research firm Founded Outdoors. The resulting report — titled Outdoor Business Needs Assessment and Opportunities 2026 — surveyed more than 100 outdoor business owners across 18 Wyoming counties.
The study identified eight primary challenge areas facing operators: workforce hiring, seasonality and weather variability, marketing, permitting and regulations, insurance and risk management, burnout, market uncertainty, and access to financing. Notably, 73 percent of surveyed firms had been in business for at least 10 years, suggesting that these are not startup struggles but persistent structural issues confronting established operators.
Dan McCoy, director of the WORTH Institute, oversaw the effort. The Wyoming Small Business Development Center was highlighted in the report as an existing support resource for businesses seeking assistance.
Businesses Behind the Numbers
The survey captured operators ranging from gear manufacturers to guide services and pack animal outfitters.
Lindsay Olson has owned Atmosphere Mountainworks in Laramie since 2018, a business that designs, cuts, and sews backpacks and outdoor gear in-house. Olson acknowledged the difficulty of relying on drive-by traffic and noted the importance of destination tourism to her bottom line. “I’m grateful that we have that level of tourism because it’s a little bit harder to bank on getting people off the interstate, you know, that are visiting Yellowstone,” she said.
Blair Van Antwerp owns North Fork Anglers, a fly shop and guide service in Cody that has operated continuously since 1984 — one of the longer-tenured businesses captured in the survey.
Anthony Natale launched 307 Llama Company out of Encampment roughly four years ago. The business rents trained pack llamas to backcountry travelers seeking an alternative to traditional pack stock. Natale expressed measured optimism about the region’s long-term appeal, saying that as long as public land access in the Mountain West remains intact, there will always be demand from people wanting to go deeper into the backcountry.
By the Numbers
- 5.5% — outdoor recreation’s share of total wages and salary within Wyoming’s GDP
- 16,545 — workers currently employed in the outdoor recreation sector statewide
- 2.8% — share of all Wyoming residents employed in outdoor recreation
- 73% — share of surveyed businesses that have operated for 10 or more years
- 18 counties — geographic scope of the survey across Wyoming
Zoom Out
Wyoming’s outdoor economy sits at the intersection of several policy debates unfolding across the Mountain West. Federal land management decisions — including grazing rules, recreation permitting, and public land access — directly affect the viability of outfitters, guides, and gear makers who depend on open backcountry. The Trump administration’s recent moves to modernize federal grazing regulations drew praise from Western ranchers and reflect a broader federal posture that many Wyoming outdoor operators see as favorable to land-based livelihoods.
At the same time, Wyoming is working to diversify its economic base. The state has seen growing interest in data center development — Governor Mark Gordon signed an executive order this year establishing ground rules for data center expansion — reflecting a push to attract investment beyond extractive and tourism industries.
What’s Next
The WORTH Institute has not publicly outlined specific policy recommendations stemming from the assessment, but the report’s identification of concrete challenge categories — particularly permitting burdens and financing access — provides a framework for future legislative or programmatic responses. Business owners and policymakers alike will likely look to the Wyoming Small Business Development Center and similar resources as immediate support avenues while longer-term structural solutions are considered.
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