Who Uses Rocky Mountain's Backcountry? A 2002 Visitor Survey

The question

After adopting a Backcountry/Wilderness Management Plan in 2001, managers at Rocky Mountain National Park wanted to know more about the people using its backcountry and wilderness: who they are, why they come, what they need, and what they know about wilderness management.

The survey

From July to September 2002, George Wallace, Jeffrey Brooks and Matthew Bates of Colorado State University handed out 1,000 surveys to people leaving the backcountry, at trailheads and the Backcountry Office. 682 usable surveys came back and were analyzed statistically.

Who they are

What they do

• Day hikers — 76% — walked an average of 9 miles in 7.8 hours.
• Overnighters — 24% — stayed an average of 1.9 nights and hiked about 18 miles.

Why they come, in order: to enjoy the backcountry itself, to pursue a particular activity, to be with friends or family, and to be alone.

What they experienced

• 41% met park employees in the backcountry, and 85% of those encounters were positive.
• 25% said they saw too many people.
• Staff and visitors reported littering, careless disposal of toilet paper, wildlife harassment, graffiti, new social trails, noisy cell phones, pagers and radios, and collecting plants or other specimens.

Wilderness: valued but not understood

72% rated more designated wilderness in the park as moderately to extremely important — yet most did not accurately understand what wilderness designation is or what it would change.

Sources

Based on "Backcountry Users: Who? Why? What?," Rocky Mountain National Park, National Park Service (updated January 2008), summarizing George Wallace, Jeffrey J. Brooks and Matthew L. Bates, A Survey of Day and Overnight Backcountry/Wilderness Visitors in Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado State University, 2004). Photographs: NPS. The summary is not a statement of park policy. A work of the United States government in the public domain. The original's photo caption gives 9% as the share of visitors there to be with family or friends; in the survey summary, 9% is the share on a first trip, so the caption's figure is left out.