Visitors' Perceptions of the North Country National Scenic Trail

摘要

Recreational users of a section of the North Country National Scenic Trail in Michigan were surveyed to determine use levels and user demographics. The 2004 survey updated a survey of users completed in 1997. This section of trail is controversial because the U.S. Forest Service allows mountain bike use on some sections, which is contrary to the Desired Future Condition of the trail. The trail received very little use during the summer survey period; on nearly half the dates, there were no users recorded at any of the sampling sites. Most users had not visited the trail during the previous 12 months. Use is concentrated on weekends and holidays. There were more hikers than bikers, primarily because of two large groups of Boy Scouts. Most users were between 16 and 50 years old and the great majority were male. Overall, users had a very high quality experience in terms of the trail design and maintenance and in terms of their encounters with other users. There were very few changes between the 1997 and 2004 surveys in the amount of use, patterns of use, or users' perceptions of the trail. A major limitation to both studies was the size of the samples which makes it difficult to determine if observed low use levels are real or reflect insufficiently robust sampling methodology.