About The Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals

No other professional organization is positioned to support outdoor recreation professionals with the same depth and breadth of expertise as SORP. Our focus is the complex interactions between outdoor recreation, tourism and natural, historic, and cultural resources. We are confident that you will see a positive return on investment when you become a SORP member! 

Membership Types

SORP is now offering Organizational and University memberships. These memberships provide excellent value for multiple people in your organization or university to access SORP training and professional development and discounts on fee-based events such as conferences and workshops. Please contact Rebecca Maguire for more information.

Membership is valid for one year from date of payment. All memberships receive all the benefits and services listed below. Memberships completed online (credit card payment) are valid immediately. If you need an invoice before your agency will process the membership, complete the membership form online and choose Invoice Me (membership will not be activated until payment is received).

Professional $90/year for one person
Professional Team
$350 for 5 people
Student $25/year
Retiree $40/year


We accept check, Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover via the online form. 

If you are an assistant that wants to sign up one or more employees, but not yourself, please call Rachel at (719) 394-3743) to setup and pay for your membership. Once your membership is setup, you will be able to renew your group online.

If you are not yet a member of SORP, you'll need to create an account to purchase a membership. 



Member Testimonial

Benefits and Services

Webinars 

We understand that travel restrictions and budgets can make it difficult to attend conferences.  Members can attend SORP webinars free of charge.

Training and Conference Discounts 

The National Outdoor Recreation Conference is the only conference that supports the training needs of professionals that manage nature-based outdoor recreation. Members save $100 or more on their conference registration.

Resource Library 

Members have exclusive access to a robust technical resource library curated by topic such as climate change, DEIA, stewardship, outdoor recreation economy and much more! Have a resource to share? Send it to rachel.franchina@recpro.org to be added to the library.

Communities and Discussion Forums

Our new website features topic-specific communities such as SCORP, Visitor Use Management, and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility. Members can ask for advice, share examples, and celebrate each other's accomplishments!

Outdoor Gear Pro Deal 

SORP members can save up to 60% on brands like Smartwool, Otterbox, Merrell, Diamondback, Carhartt, Old Towne and many, many more.  To receive access to discounts you will have to verify your SORP membership. 

E-newsletter 

SORP compiles relevant news articles, job announcements, research and reports, training opportunities and delivers it to your inbox every other week.

Tools 

Keeping up to date on new recreation planning and management tools, concepts, processes, handbooks, and policies is difficult. SORP collects, organizes and maintains a wide variety of resources to help you do your job better and save you time. Most of these resources are only available to members.

Communities of Practice

SORP provides resources, discussion forums, libraries, and a place to connect for professionals involved in specific focus areas such as SCORPs, VUM, and DEIA in Action. 

Looking for some good advice? 

SORP helps you connect with experienced colleagues. Send your questions to rachel.franchina@recpro.org and we’ll send them out to the membership.

Job Announcements

Have a position to fill in your office? We have our Outdoor Industry Jobs board / community. Jobs shared in the community will be added to our newsletter. To learn more about sharing a job vacancy, please check out this helpful guide

Personal Service

As an outdoor recreation professional, you will soon discover that your colleagues have much in common and the profession is smaller than others. The Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals is a welcoming group of professionals with an intentional effort invested in developing a sense of community. SORP prides itself in offering a personal and friendly association atmosphere.

Refund Policy

Membership fees are fully refundable within the first 60 days of membership if you are not satisfied with the service received.

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