Barriers Facing BIPOC Youth in Outdoor Recreation
The outdoors is often described as a space that belongs to everyone — a universal playground where all people can find joy, health, and connection. But the reality is more complicated. For many Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) youth, systemic barriers make outdoor spaces difficult to access, if not outright unwelcoming.
Understanding these barriers is the first step toward dismantling them.
1. Racial Discrimination and Social Exclusion
Racism doesn’t stop at the edge of the forest or the gates of a park. A 2021 study in the Journal of Leisure Research reported that racialized youth often experience subtle or direct discrimination in outdoor environments. This can include being stared at, questioned about whether they “belong,” or facing stereotypes about their abilities.
These experiences discourage participation. Instead of feeling free, youth feel judged — and this undermines the very benefits nature should provide.
2. Lack of Representation in Outdoor Leadership
Representation is more than symbolic. When youth never see leaders or peers who look like them on the trail, it sends a quiet but powerful message: this space is not for you.
The Outdoor Industry Association Diversity Report (2021) found that while participation in outdoor activities has grown overall, leadership and visibility for BIPOC communities remains limited. This lack of representation reinforces cycles of exclusion.
3. Financial and Logistical Barriers
Outdoor recreation often comes with a price tag: equipment, gear, transportation, and program fees. For families already facing economic pressures, these costs can be prohibitive.
According to UNICEF Canada (2021), children from lower-income households are significantly less likely to participate in extracurricular and outdoor activities. This creates a cycle where opportunities to build skills, confidence, and leadership remain inaccessible to many BIPOC youth.
4. Cultural Disconnects and Historical Exclusion
For Indigenous communities, the land has always been central to identity and culture. Yet colonial histories and systemic displacement have disrupted these connections, leaving many young people without opportunities to engage with the land in traditional ways.
For immigrant families, outdoor recreation may not be familiar, or may even feel culturally irrelevant. Without community support and culturally responsive programming, the outdoors can feel like foreign territory rather than a welcoming space.
5. Geographic Accessibility
Even in cities like Mohkinstsis/Calgary, where trails and parks are abundant, access is not equal. Youth in certain neighborhoods may lack safe transportation to natural areas, while others may live in dense urban settings with limited green space.
The Canadian Parks Council (2022) has acknowledged that physical access to parks is unevenly distributed across racial and socioeconomic lines, further widening the participation gap.
Why This Matters
Outdoor experiences should not be a luxury. They are essential for mental health, resilience, and leadership development. Excluding BIPOC youth from these spaces means excluding them from opportunities to grow, connect, and heal.
How Multicultural Trail Network Breaks Barriers
At the Multicultural Trail Network (MTN), we tackle these barriers head-on. By providing affordable and accessible programming in Mohkinstsis/Calgary, led by BIPOC mentors, we create spaces where youth feel safe, represented, and welcomed.
Our programs do more than take youth outside: they rewrite the story of who belongs in the outdoors.
Next Steps For Interested Parties
The barriers are real, but they are not insurmountable. With support from donors, volunteers, and allies, we can ensure that every young person, regardless of what race, culture, or economic background they belong to, has the chance to step onto a trail, climb a mountain, or camp beneath the stars.
Because the outdoors should not be a privilege. It should be a right.