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Spatially Characterizing Visitor Use and Its Association with Informal Trails in Yosemite Valley Meadows

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Abstract

Ecological impacts associated with nature-based recreation and tourism can compromise park and protected area goals if left unrestricted. Protected area agencies are increasingly incorporating indicator-based management frameworks into their management plans to address visitor impacts. Development of indicators requires empirical evaluation of indicator measures and examining their ecological and social relevance. This study addresses the development of the informal trail indicator in Yosemite National Park by spatially characterizing visitor use in open landscapes and integrating use patterns with informal trail condition data to examine their spatial association. Informal trail and visitor use data were collected concurrently during July and August of 2011 in three, high-use meadows of Yosemite Valley. Visitor use was clustered at statistically significant levels in all three study meadows. Spatial data integration found no statistically significant differences between use patterns and trail condition class. However, statistically significant differences were found between the distance visitors were observed from informal trails and visitor activity type with active activities occurring closer to trail corridors. Gender was also found to be significant with male visitors observed further from trail corridors. Results highlight the utility of integrated spatial analysis in supporting indicator-based monitoring and informing management of open landscapes. Additional variables for future analysis and methodological improvements are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

This Project was made possible by funding from the Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management at North Carolina State University. The authors would like to thank T. Newburger and B. Woiderski of the Resources Management and Science Division at Yosemite National Park for their logistical support and guidance on this Project. Additional thanks are also extended to the volunteers who assisted in collecting visitor use data.

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  1. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, North Carolina State University, Biltmore Hall, Box 8004, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA

    Chelsey Walden-Schreiner

  2. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, North Carolina State University, Jordan Hall, Box 7106, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA

    Yu-Fai Leung

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  1. Chelsey Walden-Schreiner
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Correspondence to Chelsey Walden-Schreiner.

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Walden-Schreiner, C., Leung, YF. Spatially Characterizing Visitor Use and Its Association with Informal Trails in Yosemite Valley Meadows. Environmental Management 52, 163–178 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-013-0066-0

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