National Outdoor
Recreation Conference

2028 Dates and Location To be Announced Soon!

Quick links

More Information Coming Soon!

2028 Location

Coming Soon

About the Conference

The National Outdoor Recreation Conference (NORC) is the premier conference for outdoor recreation professionals, offering opportunities for learning, networking, and field-based case studies. During each conference, we create a program that inspires, challenges, and empowers the broad community of outdoor recreation professionals.


NORC brings together over 400 people that include recreation resource planners, land managers, policy makers, tourism and destination stewardship partners, researchers, consultants, innovators, and leaders in outdoor recreation.

Questions?

Candace Gallagher, Conference Coordinator
candace@americantrails.org
(530) 645-3096

NORC STATS

400+

Join 400+ professionals including planners, land managers, policy makers, and leaders and connect with peers through networking and social events.

30+

Explore 30+ classroom and field sessions over four full days, learning from 75+ speakers through engaging, hands-on workshops.

40+

Join 40+ exhibitors and showcase your organization while connecting with attendees through three days of impactful engagement.

Agenda

Sample Agenda

Monday

Pre-conference workshops and training (morning and early afternoon)

Exhibit hall opens (afternoon)

Scholarship recipient lunch

Welcome general session (afternoon)

Poster reception and silent auction (light apps and cash bar)

Tuesday

Concurrent sessions (all day)

Exhibit hall open (all day)

Awards luncheon

Evening offsite networking event at Great Lakes Aquarium,  hosted by Duluth Area Outdoor Alliance (light apps and cash bar)


Wednesday

Field workshops (lunch and choice of one workshop included)

Thursday

Concurrent sessions (all day)

Exhibit hall open (morning and early afternoon)

Closing keynote lunch

Takeover Night/Closing Social at local brewery Canal Park Brewing Company (dinner and drinks on own)

What People Say About Our Conference

Education Scholarship

"NORC provides such an amazing opportunity to engage with others in the industry, learn, and not be siloed into our regions."

Kenzie Brunner (NORC 2024 Attendee)

Education Scholarship

"Amazing conference with huge networking and connectivity opportunities"

NORC 2024 Attendee

"NORC provides such an amazing opportunity to engage with others in the industry, learn, and not be siloed into our regions."

Kenzie Brunner (NORC 2024 Attendee)

THANK YOU TO OUR 2026 PARTNERS

THANK YOU TO OUR 2026 SPONSORS

BOUNDARY WATERS ($10,000)

GOOSEBERRY FALLS ($5,000)

KITCHI GAMMI ($2,500) 

AGWAJIING ($1,250 | Nonprofits)

FRIEND ($500)

Previous Conferences

2022 NORC

Recap from our conference in Knoxville, TN!

2024 NORC

Recap from our conference in South Lake Tahoe, Stateline, NV!

2026 NORC

Recap from our conference in Duluth, Minnesota!

Contact

Please reach out to Candace Gallagher for questions about our conference.