RESEARCH REPORT DETERRING OFF-TRAIL HIKING IN PROTECTED NATURAL AREAS: EVALUATING OPTIONS WITH SURVEYS AND UNOBTRUSIVE OBSERVATION Final Report Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University College of Natural Resources Forestry/Recreation Resources Management Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University College of Natural Resources, Forestry/Recreation Resources DETERRING OFF-TRAIL HIKING IN PROTECTED NATURAL AREAS: EVALUATING OPTIONS WITH SURVEYS AND UNOBTRUSIVE OBSERVATION February 2010 Karen Hockett Visiting Assistant Professor Department of Forest Resources & Environmental Conservation Virginia Tech (0324) Blacksburg, VA 24061 Amanda Clark Masters Candidate North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC 27695 Yu-Fai Leung Associate Professor North Carolina State University Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management Raleigh, NC 27695 Jeffrey L. Marion Unit Leader/Adjunct Professor Virginia Tech Field Unit USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center Virginia Tech/Forestry (0324) Blacksburg, VA 24061 Logan Park Assistant Professor Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Department of Forestry (4411) Carbondale, IL 62901 C&O Canal National Historical Park 1850 Dual Highway, Suite 100 Hagerstown, MD 21740-6620 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................ I FIGURES ..................................................................................................................................................... III TABLES ....................................................................................................................................................... IV EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................ VII ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................................ XI INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................... 1 STUDY OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................................................................... 1 LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................................................................ 3 VISITATION-RELATED RESOURCE IMPACTS ............................................................................................................... 3 Trail Impacts ........................................................................................................................................................ 3 INFORMAL TRAIL IMPACTS ........................................................................................................................................ 4 EDUCATIONAL EFFICACY .......................................................................................................................................... 5 SITE MANAGEMENT ................................................................................................................................................... 7 STUDY AREA ............................................................................................................................................... 8 METHODS .................................................................................................................................................. 10 STUDY COMPONENTS .............................................................................................................................................. 10 PRE-STUDY PREPARATIONS ..................................................................................................................................... 10 DESCRIPTION OF TREATMENTS ................................................................................................................................ 11 DATA COLLECTION (VISITOR SURVEY) ................................................................................................................... 17 SURVEY INSTRUMENT.............................................................................................................................................. 18 DATA ANALYSIS ...................................................................................................................................................... 20 VISITOR SURVEY RESULTS .................................................................................................................... 22 VISITOR CHARACTERISTICS ..................................................................................................................................... 22 TRIP DESCRIPTION ................................................................................................................................................... 24 HISTORY OF TRAIL USE AND PLACE ATTACHMENT ................................................................................................. 28 VISITOR BELIEFS ABOUT MANAGEMENT, ECOLOGY, AND OFF-TRAIL IMPACTS ...................................................... 34 Managing Agency and Purpose of Area............................................................................................................. 34 Visitor Beliefs about Off-Trail Hiking Impacts .................................................................................................. 36 PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY ..................................................................................................................................... 40 COMMITMENT TO THE TRAIL AS A RESOURCE ......................................................................................................... 42 EVALUATION OF TRAIL MARKINGS AND FEATURES ................................................................................................ 44 OFF-TRAIL HIKING .................................................................................................................................................. 46 Park Policy Perception ...................................................................................................................................... 46 Reasons for Hiking Off-trail and Self-Reported Behavior ................................................................................. 46 Off-Trail Hiker Characteristics .......................................................................................................................... 52 Effectiveness of Treatments on Appropriate Behaviors ..................................................................................... 56 EFFECT OF TREATMENTS ON VISITOR EXPERIENCE ................................................................................................. 58 PERCEIVED ACCEPTABILITY OF MANAGEMENT ACTIONS ........................................................................................ 62 VISITOR OBSERVATIONS ........................................................................................................................ 70 SELECTION OF STUDY SITES .................................................................................................................................... 70 TREATMENTS ........................................................................................................................................................... 70 DATA COLLECTION .................................................................................................................................................. 73 DATA ANALYSIS ...................................................................................................................................................... 73 OBSERVATION RESULTS .......................................................................................................................................... 75 Page i DISCUSSION AND MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS ............................................................................... 82 DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................................................................. 82 IMPLICATIONS FOR BEAR ISLAND AND THE BILLY GOAT TRAIL, SECTION A ........................................................... 88 Improve Communication .................................................................................................................................... 89 Improve Maintenance/Marking of the Billy Goat Trail ..................................................................................... 92 Consider Formalizing Some Informal Trails ..................................................................................................... 92 Close and Restore Unacceptable Trails ............................................................................................................. 93 STUDY LIMITATIONS ............................................................................................................................................... 95 FUTURE RESEARCH ................................................................................................................................................. 96 LITERATURE CITED .................................................................................................................................. 98 APPENDIX A: