Who We Are

The Institute of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism (IORT) at Utah State University connects research, education, and Extension to help people care for the places and resources that support outdoor recreation and tourism. We work with communities, public land managers, Tribes, businesses, and nonprofit partners across Utah and the American West to understand change, evaluate choices, and put knowledge into practice.

Our roots are in USU’s recreation resource management teaching and research and its land-grant commitment to public service. In 1998, the Utah Legislature established and funded an interdisciplinary teaching, research, and Extension program within the Institute through the Recreation and Tourism Research and Extension Program Act (S.B. 35). The legislation called for work on recreation and tourism use and demand, the social and economic tradeoffs communities face, and the effects of recreation and tourism on public lands and their management. That charge continues to guide our work.

Our Five Programs

Today, our work brings together outdoor recreation planning, community development, natural resource stewardship, and professional learning through five connected programs:

Visitation Monitoring, Management, and Development: We measure visitor use, study experiences and spending, analyze recreation capacity, and develop tools to guide management, infrastructure, and economic development decisions.
Basecamp Conference: We convene researchers, land managers, community leaders, and other partners to share knowledge and work through outdoor recreation and gateway community challenges through conferences and workshops.
Gateway and Natural Amenity Region (GNAR) Initiative: We combine research, education, and capacity building to help gateway communities and their surrounding regions respond to growth, plan for change, and sustain the qualities that make them special.
Dark Sky Cooperative: We connect research, education, and community partnerships to protect natural night skies, reduce light pollution, and support stewardship, well-being, and responsible astrotourism.
Fisheries Systems: We study the connections among fish populations, environmental change, fishing communities, and governance to inform fisheries management and strengthen the resilience of these shared systems.

Across these programs, our faculty, staff, students, and partners turn research into practical tools, training, and collaborative solutions. Our aim is to support meaningful outdoor experiences, thriving communities, and the long-term stewardship of the landscapes, waters, and night skies on which they depend.