A vacation spot at an ocean, lake, reservoir or river is the top choice for Americans, followed by federal and state parks. Regional differences loom large when it comes to recreation customer satisfaction. Midwestemers are most content, while those from the Northeast are least satisfied. Fifty-six percent of all Americans report time is the key limitation on recreation activities. While obtaining information on places to go is not a major problem to most Americans the public is relatively unsatisfied with the amount of instructional, interpretive and environmental information available during the outdoor recreation experience itself.
Downhill skiers are three times as likely to be golfers as the public at large.
RV'ers also like boating. Those who canoe and kayak participate, on average, in 11 different outdoor recreation activities, the highest number of any group of enthusiasts. They are followed closely by those who bicycle off-road and those who backpack. Fifty-two percent of those who report fishing is their favorite activity began fishing before the age of eight. But about one in five motorboaters, golfers, hunters and equestrians rate competition as very important.