Our family, along with two other military families, were able to connect, reconnect, and recharge with an indescribable canoe trip in Voyageurs National Park. The days are short but the memories will last a lifetime.”
— Andie C., Voyageurs National Park
For many families of service members like Andie’s, military life doesn’t pause. But individuals and families can. The outdoors offers space to reset, reconnect, and restore a sense of calm during stressful transitions and the pressures of service life. Through engaging adventures in national parks, public lands, and waterways, the Military Families Outdoors (MFO) program provides service members and their families the opportunity to experience the life-changing benefits of nature.
Launched in 2024 with resounding success, MFO brings together the Defense Health Agency, the National Park Service, Blue Star Families, Wilderness Inquiry, Armed Services YMCA, and The Center for Health & Nature, in collaborative partnership that builds accessible outdoor recreation and education opportunities to support positive mental and physical health outcomes for all military family members who participate.
In its pilot year, MFO impacted more than 9,000 participants through an array of outdoor experiences, including guided hikes, canoeing and kayaking excursions, camping trips, environmental education programs, and more. Programming brought people to 43 National Park Service sites and engaged families from more than 40 communities nationally.
Post-adventure surveys from 2024 MFO participants on Wilderness Inquiry trips showed that 92% of participants reported a greater sense of physical well-being. And 93% of participants felt more connected to themselves, their family, or the military community, AND more confident in their ability to access the outdoors independently or with their family.
I’m so proud of the way my kids took on challenging hikes, and we all felt wowed by the beauty of our country. We feel inspired to travel more to new places!”
— Vanessa M., Glacier National Park
MFO is proudly on track to reach more than 20,000 military-connected families and individuals in its first two years — and we’re just getting started.
From backyard to backcountry, MFO adventures create welcoming, healing, and lifelong experiences within nature — building deep connections between military families and the public lands they serve to protect.
Leave a Reply