Monitoring visitor use in backcountry and wilderness: a review of methods

Monitoring visitor use in backcountry and wilderness: a review of methods. Obtaining accurate and usable visitor counts in backcountry and wilderness settings continues to be problematic for resource managers because use of these areas is dispersed and costs can be prohibitively high. An overview of the available methods for obtaining reliable data on recreation use levels is provided. Monitoring methods were compared and selection criteria were developed based on units of measure, efficiency and affordability, validity and reliability, and compatibility with agency objectives. Using these selection criteria, some general recommendations of methods for monitoring visitor use in wilderness and backcountry were derived. Permit methods offer the benefit of obtaining extensive and accurate use data, but have high administrative costs and are inconvenient for visitors. Registration techniques provide extensive data and are particularly applicable where rationing use is not a management objective. Permit and registration techniques, however, do require considerable resources to validate for visitor noncompliance. Indirect counts with electronic or mechanical devices in combination with self-report surveys or self-registration meet most management and research needs by providing data on total use and meaningful information about the type of use. Proper study design controlling for sampling bias can make this combined approach an attractive alternative. Most managers of public lands rely on informal estimates of recreational use, but the general consensus is that more reliable information about recreational use and users is required for effective management. In response to the pervasive need among resource managers to obtain reliable information about the amount and type of recreational use, we reviewed methods for monitoring backcountry and wilderness use. To assist managers in evaluating and selecting an appropriate method for monitoring visitor use, we developed some general selection guidelines. When implementing a management plan, managers need to identify important goals and objectives, which will provide guidance for selecting a visitor use monitoring method. These goals and objectives can be used to choose the appropriate level of detail for the visitor use data to be obtained, from simple lists of activities to more rigorous sample or census counts. In general, sample counts provide the minimum level of detail needed to meet most management objectives. We compared 13 alternatives for monitoring backcountry and wilderness use to establish general selection criteria. Comparisons were based on characteristics that managers should consider when evaluating monitoring methods, including the following: the type of use and visitor data obtained with the …