Luke Nichols Retired From YouTube's Outdoor Boys - Fans Ask If It's For Faith

YouTube sensation Luke Nichols stunned millions of fans earlier this year when he announced he was stepping away from his hugely popular Outdoor Boys channel. After more than a decade of filming wilderness adventures with his sons Nate, Tommy and Jacob, Nichols' unexpected retirement in May left viewers speculating about the real reason he left social media.

His farewell video marked the end of 11 years of recorded family adventures in the wild outdoors, closing a chapter that had attracted over 18 million subscribers worldwide.

Nichols' Reason For Quitting

In his 'Goodbye' video, the retired YouTuber recalled how he built the channel from scratch and admitted that 'even good things can be taken too far.' He explained that the relentless growth of Outdoor Boys had begun to take a toll on his daily life.

Nichols revealed that he often felt overwhelmed by fans approaching him in public for photos or conversations.

'My wife and I—we both have real concerns about what this will do to our family if I keep growing my YouTube channel at this pace. And the time to stop is before this problem gets so out of hand that my family and I can't live normal lives,' he said.

He concluded by saying that he needs to step back and focus on helping others. 'I'm excited to see where that takes me,' Nichols said.

A New Calling Beyond YouTube

Not long after his retirement, eagle-eyed netizens spotted Nichols' name in an announcement from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. On 9 December 2025, the church confirmed that Nichols was one of the fourteen men appointed to its Young Men General Advisory Council.

'They will assist the Young Men General Presidency as they counsel with other general and local Church leaders to teach, serve and watch over the young men of the Church. The members of the council began serving on December 1, 2025,' the church stated on their X (formerly Twitter) account.

Nichols' qualifications were also highlighted on the church's website, noting that he had a bachelor's degree in Political Science from Brigham Young University and a juris doctorate from George Mason University. He previously worked as a managing partner of Nichols & Green PLLC, specialising in criminal defence law.

Nichols also served as a full-time missionary in the church's Japan Fukuoka Mission before starting his legal career. He is married to Rebecca Nichols, the mother of his three boys.

Returning for One More Video

Despite his retirement, Nichols briefly revived the Outdoor Boys channel to upload a camping video in support of his friend, fellow YouTuber Steven Smith of the MyLifeOutdoors channel.

The video was intended to help Steven's wife in her battle against cancer. 'I made a video for him to have and post exclusively on his channel so that he didn't have to worry about making a video over the holidays,' Nichols explained.

Nichols has also promised fans a handful of final uploads before the end of the year. True to his word, three new videos have been uploaded on Outdoor Boys, ensuring his community gets a proper send-off.