Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park Visitors| Their Interests, Satisfactions, Opinions and Preferences
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 1975 Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park visitors| Their interests, satisfactions, opinions and preferences Daniel Patrick Vincent The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Vincent, Daniel Patrick, "Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park visitors| Their interests, satisfactions, opinions and preferences" (1975). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 2836. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/2836 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. LEWIS AND CLARK CAVERNS STATE PARK VISITORS: THEIR INTERESTS, SATISFACTIONS, OPINIONS AND PREFERENCES By Daniel P. Vincent B.S., University of Montana, 1974 Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA 1975 Approved by: rman. Board of Examiners Dea%$C Gradua be/School ,/a>7.rc: Date ' UMI Number: EP36200 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI UMI EP36200 Published by ProQuest LLC (2012). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProQuest' ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 Vincent, Daniel P., M.S,, June 15, 1975 Recreation Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park Visitors: Their Interests, Satisfactions, Opinions and Preferences (103 pp.) Director: Joel F. Meier The problem in this study was to investigate the interests, satisfactions, opinions and preferences of Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park Visitors during the 1974 season. The major purposes were to (1) identify what visitors considered the most desirable means of transportation to the caverns' entrance; (2) to ascertain their opinions regarding different interpretive methods; (3) to determine their preferences for the type of infor mation to be dispensed during tours; and (4) to make recommendations based upon these findings that may later be implemented to improve the recreational services at Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park. The self-administered questionnaire was chosen as the survey instrument to obtain data regarding caverns visitors. All persons over the age of twelve, taking self-guided tours, and visitors from randomly selected guided tours were asked to participate. Of the 46,307 adult visitors to the caverns in 1974, 1,252, or 2.07 percent of the population participated in the study. Based upon the findings, the following conclusions appear to be warranted: (1) The majority of the respondents enjoyed the walk to the caverns' entrance. (2) There were considerable differences in preference for mode of transportation to the caverns' entrance depending upon whether respondents had ridden the cable car lift on previous visits. (3) Visitors unaccompanied by a guide on self-guided tours tended to enjoy walking slightly more than their counterparts on guided tours. (4) A relationship existed between temperature and visitor response toward walking to the caverns' entrance. (5) The visitors were generally quite satisfied with the length of time spent on interpretation during guided tours. (6) Participants vrho had visited the caverns previously were less satisfied with all three interpretive techniques than were first-time visitors. (7) The guided tour was the interpretive method most satisfying to a majority of the visitors. (8) Visitor interest in tour information increased dramatically as the amount of scientific, factual and especially historical information was presented. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENT I would like to express my sincerest appreciation and gratitude to the many people who have assisted me in this study. I wish to thank the members of my committee. Dr. Lloyd A. Heywood (Health, Physical Education and Recreation), and Dr. Thomas 0. Kirkpatrick (Business Administration). To my committee chairman and thesis director. Dr. Joel F. Meier (Health, Physical Education and Recreation), I am particularly grateful for the time and effort he has spent in my behalf. Appreciation is extended to Mr. Richard I. Ellis, Mr. Don D. Hyyppa and all the members of the Recreation and Parks Division of the Department of Fish and Game for their numerous helpful suggestions. A special word of thanks goes to Mr. Donald Skaar and all the caverns' employees of the 1974 season. Also, grateful acknowledgment is made to the many visitors who participated in this study. Finally, I would like to thank my wife, Trena Louise, and parents for much help and moral support. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ........................................................ H Chapter I. INTRODUCTION ............................................ 1 The Statement of the Problem Significance of Problem Delimitations Limitations II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE .............................. 6 Interpretation Defined Purpose of Interpretation Interpretive Needs Interpretive Techniques Summary III. PROCEDURES ............... ................................. 13 Nature and Source of Information Development of Survey Instrument Spindle-file Cards Pilot Study General Procedures for Collecting Data IV. ORGANIZATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA ........................... 20 The Sample Defined Statistical Techniques Data Analysis V. SUMMARY, FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, DISCUSSION, IMPLEMENTATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS........................................ 51 Summary Findings Conclusions Discussion Implementations Recommendat ions BIBLIOGRAPHY................................................... 63 XV APPENDIX ..................................................... 64 Appendix A: Formats to the Five Types of Guided Tours Appendix B: Visitor Loss that can be Directly Attributed to the Discontinuation of the Cable Car Lift Appendix C: Coded Questionnaire and Code Sheet Appendix D: The Brief Explanation of Intent and Purpose of the Survey, Given to All Visitors Prior to Questionnaire Distribution Appendix E: Schedule for Self-Guiding Tour with Stationed Guides Appendix F: Dialogue for Tape Recordings used on Self- guided Tour Appendix G: The Sample Defined Appendix H: Chi Square Analysis for Tables 1-7 and 9-15 V LIST OF TABLES 1. A Comparison between Those Who Had or Had Not Previously Visited the Caverns when the Cable Car Lift was in Operation and Their Enjoyment Derived from Walking to the Caverns' Entrance .................................... 23 2. A Comparison between Those Who Had or Had Not Visited the Caverns Previously when the Cable Car Lift was in Operation and Whether They Preferred Walking to the Entrance or Riding in a Mechanical L i f t .................25 3. A Comparison between Those Who Did or Did Not Enjoy the Walk to the Caverns' Entrance and whether They Would Prefer Walking to the Entrance or Riding in a Mechanical L i f t ..................................................... 27 4. A Comparison between Guided and Self-guided Tours and whether Visitors Did or Did Not Enjoy the Walk to the Caverns' Entrance ........................................ 29 5. A Comparison between Visitors Who Participated in Guided or Self-guided Tours and Their Preference for Walking to the Caverns' Entrance or Riding in a Mechanical Lift . 31 6. The Relationship between Temperature and whether Visitors Did or Did Not Enjoy the Walk to the Caverns' Entrance . 33 7. The Relationship between Temperature and Visitor Preference for Walking to the Caverns' Entrance or Riding in a Mechanical Lift ........................................ 35 8. Visitor Preferences Regarding Length of the Standard Ninety Minute Guided T o u r .................................. 36 9. The Degrees of Satisfaction of Those Who Had Not Pre viously Visited the Caverns with one of Three Inter pretive Methods Used at the Caverns 38 10. The Degrees of Satisfaction of Those Who Had Previously Visited the Caverns with One of Three Interpretive Methods Used at the Caverns............. ... ............. 40 11. The Degrees of Visitor Satisfaction with One of Three Interpretive Methods Used at the C a v e r n s ...................42 12. The Degree of Interest Visitors Had in Information Received from Guided Tours ..... ..................... 44 13. Visitor Opinion of the Amount of Fantasy and Imaginary Information Presented on Each of Five Types of Guided T o u r s .................................. ... ............. 46 14. Visitor Opinion of the Amount of Historic Information Presented on Each of Five Types of Guided T o u r s ............. 48 15. Visitor Opinion of the Amount of Scientific and Factual Information Presented on Each of Five Types of Guided T o u r s ................. 50 VI CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park lies in a small mountain range 45 miles east of Butte, in Southwestern Montana.