Database and Bibliography Access

The 2025 updated Recreation Use Values Database is available as an Excel file. The accompanying bibliography cross-references the RUVD by document code. A summary of the database includes distributions of estimates and studies, and mean values by activity type by region. All files are accessible via Box. Download it here via Box.

Recreation Use Values Database – Overview

The RUVD (2025 update) currently contains 527 documents of economic valuation studies that estimated the use value of recreation activities in the U.S. and Canada from 1958 to 2025, totaling 4,023 estimates in per person per activity day units, adjusted to current 2025 USD. Twenty-one primary activity types are provided, with several more available if segregated by activity mode, resource type, primary species sought, or little studied activities (i.e., ‘other recreation’ has an additional 25 activities identified).

These recreation use value estimates are measures of net willingness-to-pay or consumer surplus for recreational access to specific sites, or for certain activities at broader geographic scales (e.g., state or province, national) in per person per activity day units—the RUVD does not contain information on marginal values for changes in site quality or condition.