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pdfSocial Science Division
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Visitor Services Project
New Bedford Whaling
National Historical Park
Visitor Study
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park Visitor Study
OMB Approval 1024-XXX (NPS# xx-XXX)
Expiration date: XXX-2010
2
United States Department of the Interior
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park
33 William Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
IN REPLY REFER TO:
July, 2010
Dear Visitor:
Thank you for participating in this important study. Our goal is to
learn about the expectations, opinions, and interests of visitors to
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park. This information will
assist us in our efforts to better manage this park and to serve you.
This questionnaire is only being given to a select number of
visitors, so your participation is very important! It should only take
about 20 minutes after your visit to complete.
When your visit is over, please complete this questionnaire. Seal it
with the stickers provided on the last page and drop it in any U.S.
mailbox.
If you have any questions, please contact Margaret Littlejohn, NPS
VSP Coordinator, Park Studies Unit, College of Natural
Resources, P.O. Box 441139, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho
83844-1139, phone: 208-885-7863, email: [email protected].
We appreciate your help.
Sincerely,
Jennifer T. Nersesian
Superintendent
This visitor study is partially funded by Recreation Fee Program funding.
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park Visitor Study
3
DIRECTIONS
At the end of your visit:
1) Please have the selected individual complete this questionnaire.
2) Answer the questions carefully since each question is different.
3) For questions that use circles (O), please mark your answer by
filling in the circle with black or blue ink, or a pencil with dark
(e.g. #2) lead.
4) Seal it with the stickers provided.
5) Drop it in a U.S. mailbox.
Thank you!
PRIVACY ACT and PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT statement:
16 U.S.C. 1a-7 authorizes collection of this information. This information will be
used by park managers to better serve the public. Response to this request is
voluntary. No action may be taken against you for refusing to supply the information
requested. Your name is requested for follow-up mailing purposes only. When
analysis of the questionnaire is completed, all name and address files will be
destroyed. Thus the permanent data will be anonymous. Please do not put your
name or that of any member of your personal group on the questionnaire. An
agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a
collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
Burden estimate statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to
average 20 minutes per response. Direct comments regarding the burden estimate
or any other aspect of this form to Margaret Littlejohn, NPS Visitor Services Project,
College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho, P.O. Box 441139, Moscow, ID,
83844-1139; email: [email protected].
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park Visitor Study
4
Your Visit To New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park
NOTE: In this questionnaire “personal group” is defined as anyone that you are visiting the
park with, such as spouse, family, friends, etc. This does not include the larger group
that you might be traveling with, such as school, church, scouts, or tour group.
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park is 13 blocks of historic downtown New Bedford.
1.
a) Prior to your visit, how did you and your personal group obtain information
about New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park (NHP)? Please mark ( )
all that apply in column (a).
•
b) If you were to visit New Bedford Whaling NHP in the future, how would you and
your personal group prefer to obtain information about the park? Please mark
( ) all that apply in column (b).
•
a) Prior to this visit
b) Prior to future visits
O
Did not obtain information prior to visit Î Go to part b of this question
O
Inquiry to park via phone, mail, e-mail
O
O
Friends/relatives/word of mouth
O
O
Highway signs
O
O
Local businesses (hotels, motels, restaurants, etc.)
O
O
Maps/brochures
O
O
New Bedford Whaling NHP website: www.nps.gov/nebe
O
O
City of New Bedford website: www.ci.new-bedford.mas.us
O
O
Other websites—Which one(s)?
O
O
Newspaper/magazine articles
O
O
Previous visits
O
O
School class/program
O
O
Social media (such as Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
O
O
Television/radio programs/videos
O
O
Travel guides/tour books (such as AAA, etc.)
O
O
Other (Please specify below)
O
Prior to this visit
Prior to future visits
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park Visitor Study
Note to OMB: all long list (14 answer) questions will be reversed in ½ of the questionnaires
5
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park Visitor Study
6
c) From the sources marked in column (a), did you and your personal group
receive the type of information about the park that you needed?
O
No
O
Yes Î Go to Question 2
d) If NO, what type of park information did you and your personal group need that
was not available? Please be specific.
2.
a) Prior to this visit, were you and your personal group aware that New Bedford
Whaling NHP existed?
O
Yes
O
No
b) Prior to this visit, were you and your personal group aware that New Bedford
Whaling NHP consists of several sites besides the visitor center, such as the
Whaling Museum, Rotch-Jones-Duff House and others?
O
3.
Yes
O
No
a) Prior to this visit, had you and your personal group ever heard of the following
special events?
b) Have you or your personal group ever attended any of the following special
events?
a) Heard of event?
b) Ever attended event?
4.
O
Art • History • Architecture (AHA!) cultural nights
O
O
Bioneers by the Bay
O
O
Cape Verdean Independence Day Parade
O
O
Feast of the Blessed Sacrament (Portuguese Feast)
O
O
Summerfest
O
O
Taste the Southcoast
O
O
Working Waterfront Festival
O
How did your visit to New Bedford Whaling NHP fit into you and your personal
group’s travel plans? Please mark ( ) one.
•
O
New Bedford Whaling NHP was the primary destination
O
New Bedford Whaling NHP was one of several destinations
O
New Bedford Whaling NHP was not a planned destination
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park Visitor Study
5.
7
On this trip, which was the primary reason that you and your personal group
came to the New Bedford Whaling NHP area (including the city of New Bedford
and within 10 miles of the park)? Please mark ( ) one.
•
O
Resident of the area (within 10-mile drive of park) Î Go to Question 7
O
Visit New Bedford Whaling NHP (Park Visitor Center, Whaling Museum,
Rotch-Jones Duff House, Seamen’s Bethel, Wharfinger Building, etc.)
O
Visit the city of New Bedford
O
Visit other attractions in the area
O
Visit friends/relatives in the area
O
Traveling through – unplanned visit
O
Business
O
Other (Please specify)
6. a) On this trip, did you and your personal group stay overnight away from your
permanent residence in the surrounding area (within 10 miles of the park,
including the city of New Bedford)?
O
Yes
O
No Î Go to Question 7
b) If YES, please list the number of nights you and your personal group stayed in
the surrounding area.
Number of nights in the surrounding area
c) In which types of lodging did you and your personal group spend the night(s) in
the surrounding area? Please mark ( ) all that apply.
•
O
Motels, hotels, vacation rentals, B&B, etc.
O
Rental house/condominium
O
Residence of friends or relatives
O
RV/trailer camping
O
Seasonal residence
O
Tent camping in developed campground
O
Other (Please specify)
8
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park Visitor Study
7.
a) On this visit, what forms of transportation did you and your personal group use
to travel between your overnight accommodations or home and New Bedford
Whaling NHP? Please mark ( ) all that apply.
•
O
Private car
O
Rental car
O
Recreation vehicle (RV)
O
Motorcycle
O
Bus/motor coach
O
Airplane
O
Ferry: Which one?
O
Private boat
O
Bicycle
O
Cruise ship
O
Other (Please specify)
b) If you and your personal group drove a vehicle to New Bedford Whaling NHP
on this visit, where did you park?
8.
O
Did not drive a vehicle to the park Î Go to Question 8
O
Street parking
O
Other (Please specify)
O
O
Parking lot
Parking garage
a) On this visit to New Bedford Whaling NHP, how many hours in total did you
and your personal group spend visiting the park?
Number of hours (Please list partial hours as ¼, ½, ¾.)
b) Did you and your personal group visit the park on more than one day?
O
O
Yes
No Î Go to Question 9
c) If YES, on how many days did you visit New Bedford Whaling NHP?
Number of days
9.
O
a) In which communities did you and your personal group obtain support services
(e.g. information, gas, food, lodging) for this visit to New Bedford Whaling
NHP? Please mark ( ) all that apply.
None Î Go to part b of this question
•
O
Boston, MA
O
Fair Haven, MA
O
Westport, MA
O
Cape Cod, MA
O
Fall River, MA
O
Providence, RI
O
Dartmouth, MA
O
New Bedford, MA
O
Other (Please specify)
b) Were you and your personal group able to obtain all the services that you
needed in New Bedford, MA?
O
No
O
Yes Î Go to Question 10
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park Visitor Study
c) If NO, what needed services were not available in New Bedford, MA?
Service (Please list)
9
Comments (Please be specific)
•
10. a) Please mark ( ) all the activities that you and your personal group expected to
do within New Bedford Whaling NHP and downtown New Bedford on this visit.
b) On this visit, in which activities did you and your personal group participate
within New Bedford Whaling NHP and downtown New Bedford? Please mark
( ) all that apply in column (b).
•
c) If you were to visit in the future, in which activities would you and your personal
group prefer to participate within New Bedford Whaling NHP and downtown
New Bedford ? Please mark ( ) all that apply in column (c).
•
a) Expected
activities
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
Activity
Attending arts/cultural event
Fishing
General sightseeing
Learning about New Bedford history
Learning about Underground Railroad
Learning about whaling and maritime history
Recreation (boat tour, etc.)
Researching family history/genealogy
Shopping/dining out
Viewing the fishing fleet
Viewing/studying historic architecture
Visiting art galleries in New Bedford
Visiting Buttonwood Park Zoo
Visiting Fort Tabor
Other (Please specify below)
Expected
This visit
b) Activities c) Activities on
on this visit
future visit
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
Future visit
10
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park Visitor Study
c) Which one of the above activities was most important to you and your personal
group on this visit to New Bedford Whaling NHP?
•
11. a) Please mark ( ) all the information services and facilities that you or your
personal group used at New Bedford Whaling NHP during this visit.
b) Next, for only those services and facilities that you or your personal group
used, please rate their importance to your visit from 1-5.
c) Finally, for only those services and facilities that you or your personal group
used, please rate their quality from 1-5.
a) Information services and
facilities used
Mark ( )
•
b) If used,
how important?
1=Not important
2=Somewhat important
3=Moderately important
4=Very important
5=Extremely important
O
Access for people with disabilities
O
AM 1610 radio (traveler’s information)
O
Assistance from National Park Service
(NPS) staff/volunteers
O
NPS Junior Ranger program
O
NPS guided walking tour
O
NPS park brochure
O
NPS park website: www.nps.gov/nebe/
(used before or during this visit)
O
New Bedford Whaling Museum
O
Preservation Society self-guided
architecture tour
O
Rotch-Jones-Duff House
O
Seamen’s Bethel
O
Self-guided tours (besides the Preservation
Society self-guided tours)
O
Schooner Ernestina
O
Underground Railroad information
c) If used,
what quality?
1=Very poor
2=Poor
3=Average
4=Good
5=Very good
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park Visitor Study
11
12. a) In the future, if a free shuttle bus were available to travel between the facilities
listed in Question 11, would you and your personal group be interested in riding it?
O
Yes, likely
O
No, unlikely
O
Not sure
b) Would you and your personal group be willing to pay $1 per adult per day to
ride a shuttle bus between any or all of the facilities listed in Question 11?
O
Yes, likely
O
No, unlikely
O
Not sure
•
13. a) Please mark ( ) all of visitor services and facilities that you or your personal
group used while in the city of New Bedford.
b) Next, for only those services and facilities that you or your personal group
used, please rate their importance to your visit from 1-5.
c) Finally, for only those services and facilities that you or your personal group
used, please rate their quality from 1-5.
a) Visitor services and facilities used
Mark ( )
•
b) If used,
how important?
1=Not important
2=Somewhat important
3=Moderately important
4=Very important
5=Extremely important
Visitor centers
O
O
National Park Service (NPS) Visitor Center
NPS Visitor Center bookstore sales items
(selection, price, etc.)
O
O
O
O
NPS Visitor Center exhibits
NPS Visitor Center movie
Waterfront Visitor Center
Waterfront Visitor Center exhibits
Other services/facilities
O
O
O
O
O
O
Ferries
Garage/lot parking
Hotels/motels
Restaurants
Shops in New Bedford
Street parking
c) If used,
what quality?
1=Very poor
2=Poor
3=Average
4=Good
5=Very good
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park Visitor Study
12
14. If you were to visit New Bedford Whaling NHP in the future, how would you and
your personal group prefer to learn about cultural and natural history/features of
New Bedford Whaling NHP? Please mark ( ) all that apply.
•
O
Not interested in learning about the park Î Go to Question 15
O
Indoor exhibits
O
Outdoor exhibits/panels
O
Living history demonstrations
O
Craft demonstrations
O
Music programs/demonstrations
O
Children’s programs
O
Park website: www.nps.gov/nebe
O
Self-guided tours
O
Ranger-led interpretive programs
O
Special events
O
Audiovisual programs (DVD, video, or audio)
O
Volunteer opportunities
O
Printed materials (brochures, books, maps, etc.)
O
Electronic media/devices available to visitors (downloadable digital files,
podcasts, interactive computer programs, cell phone tours, etc.)
O
Other (Please specify)
15. a) For the safety issues below, please indicate how safe you and your personal group
felt from crime and accidents during this visit to New Bedford Whaling NHP. Please
mark ( ) one answer for each issue.
How safe did you feel in the park?
•
Safety issue
Very
unsafe
Somewhat
unsafe
Neither safe Somewhat
nor unsafe
safe
Very
safe
Personal safety—from crime
O
O
O
O
O
Personal safety—from accidents
O
O
O
O
O
Personal property—from crime
O
O
O
O
O
b) If you marked that you felt “very unsafe” or “somewhat unsafe” for any of the
above issues, please explain why.
16. a) Compared to what you had planned, how much time did you and your personal
group spend visiting New Bedford Whaling NHP? Please mark ( ) one.
•
O
O
O
O
Did not have a planned amount of time Î Go to Question 17
About the same time as planned
Longer than planned
Shorter than planned
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park Visitor Study
13
b) If the amount of time you and your personal group spent visiting New Bedford
Whaling NHP differed from what you had planned (longer or shorter) what
were the reasons for changing your plans?
17. For you and your personal group on this visit to New Bedford Whaling NHP,
please estimate all expenditures for the items listed below in the area within a
10-mile drive of the park. Please write "0" if no money was spent in a
particular category.
a) Please list your group's total expenditures in the city of New Bedford, MA
within 10 miles of the park.
NOTE: Surrounding area residents should only include expenditures that were
just for this trip to New Bedford Whaling NHP.
EXPENDITURES
a) In New Bedford within 10-mile drive
Hotels, motels, B&B, etc.
$
Camping fees and charges
$
Guide fees and charges
$
Restaurants and bars
$
Groceries and takeout food
$
Gas and oil (auto, RV, boat, etc.)
$
Boat tours
$
Other transportation expenses
(rental cars, taxis, auto repairs, but
NOT airfare)
$
Admission, recreation, entertainment fees
$
All other purchases (souvenirs, books,
sporting goods, clothing, etc.)
$
Donations
$
b) How many people do the above expenses cover?
Adults (18 years or over)
Children (under 18 years)
Please write 0 if no children were
covered by the expenditures.
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park Visitor Study
14
18. On this visit, were you and your personal group part of the following types of
organized groups? ? Please mark ( ) one for each.
•
a) Commercial guided tour group
O
Yes
O
No
b) School/educational group
O
Yes
O
No
c) Other (scouts, work, church)
O
Yes
O
No
d) If you were with one of these organized groups, about how many people,
including yourself, were in this group?
Number of people in organized group
19. a) On this visit, with what kind of personal group (not guided tour/school/other
organized group) were you? ? Please mark ( ) one.
•
O
Alone
O
Friends
O
O
Family
O
Family and friends
Other (Please specify)
b) On this visit, how many people were in your personal group, including
yourself?
Number of people in personal group
c) On this visit, how many vehicles did you and your personal group use to arrive
at the park? Please write 0 if you did not arrive by vehicle.
Number of vehicles
20. For you only, what is the highest level of education you have completed? Please
mark ( ) one.
•
O
Some high school
O
Bachelor’s degree
O
High school diploma/GED
O
Graduate degree
O
Some college
21. a) Does anyone in your personal group have a physical condition that made it
difficult to access or participate in park activities or services?
O
Yes
O
No Î Go on to Question 22
b) If YES, what services or activities were difficult to access/participate in?
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park Visitor Study
15
22. For you and your personal group on this visit, please provide the following. If you
do not know the answer, leave blank.
Frequency of visits to New Bedford
Whaling NHP
(including this visit)
a) Current
age
b) U.S. ZIP code or
name of country
other than U.S.
c) Every
year?
d) Several
e)
times/year? Lifetime
Yes
No
to date
Yes
No
Yourself
O
O
O
O
Member #2
O
O
O
O
Member #3
O
O
O
O
Member #4
O
O
O
O
Member #5
O
O
O
O
Member #6
O
O
O
O
Member #7
O
O
O
O
•
23. a) Are you or members of your group Hispanic or Latino? Please mark ( ) one
for each group member.
Yes, Hispanic or
Latino
No, not Hispanic
or Latino
Yourself
Member
#2
Member Member Member Member Member
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
b) What is your race? What is the race of each member of your personal group?
Please mark ( ) one or more for you and each group member.
•
Yourself
American Indian or
Alaska Native
Member Member
#2
#3
Member Member Member Member
#4
#5
#6
#7
Asian
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
Black or African
American
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
Native Hawaiian or
other Pacific
Islander
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
White
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park Visitor Study
16
•
c) Do you identify yourself as any of the following ethnicities? Please mark ( ) all
that apply.
O
Portuguese
O
Azorean
O
Cape Verdean
O
Madeiran
O
Other (Please specify)
O
Brazilian
24. After visiting New Bedford Whaling NHP what aspect of the park’s story would
you share with family and friends?
25. If you were a manager planning for the future of New Bedford Whaling NHP what
would you and your personal group propose?
26. Is there anything else you and your personal group would like to tell us about
your visit to New Bedford Whaling NHP?
27. Overall, how would you rate the quality of the facilities, services, and recreational
opportunities provided to you and your personal group at New Bedford NHP
during this visit? Please mark ( ) one.
•
Very poor
O
Poor
O
Average
O
Good
O
Very good
O
Thank you for your help! Please seal the questionnaire with the stickers provided
and drop it in any U.S. mailbox.
Printed on recycled paper
Visitor Services Project
Park Studies Unit
College of Natural Resources
University of Idaho
P.O. Box 441139
Moscow, Idaho 83844-1139
OFFICIAL BUSINESS
Social Science Division
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Visitor Services Project
Wind Cave National Park
Visitor Study
2
Wind Cave National Park Visitor Study
OMB Approval xxx (NPS# xxx)
Expiration date:
United States Department of the Interior
IN REPLY REFER TO:
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
Wind Cave NP
26611 US Highway 385
Hot Springs, SD 57747-6027
July 2010
Dear Visitor:
Thank you for participating in this important study. Our goal is to
learn about the expectations, opinions, and interests of visitors to
Wind Cave National Park. This information will assist us in our
efforts to better manage this park and to serve you.
This questionnaire is only being given to a select number of
visitors, so your participation is very important! It should only take
about 20 minutes to complete after your visit.
When your visit is over, please complete this questionnaire. Seal it
with the stickers provided on the last page and drop it in any U.S.
mailbox.
If you have any questions, please contact Margaret Littlejohn, NPS
VSP Director, Park Studies Unit, College of Natural Resources, P.O.
Box 441139, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho 83844-1139,
phone: 208-885-7863, email: [email protected].
We appreciate your help.
Sincerely,
Vidal Davila
Superintendent
Wind Cave National Park Visitor Study
DIRECTIONS
At the end of your visit:
1) Please have the selected individual complete this questionnaire.
2) Answer the questions carefully since each question is different.
3) For questions that use circles (O), please mark your answer by
filling in the circle with black or blue ink, or a pencil with dark
(e.g. #2) lead.
4) Seal it with the stickers provided.
5) Drop it in a U.S. mailbox.
Thank you!
PRIVACY ACT and PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT statement:
16 U.S.C. 1a-7 authorizes collection of this information. This information will be
used by park managers to better serve the public. Response to this request is
voluntary. No action may be taken against you for refusing to supply the
information requested. Your name is requested for follow-up mailing purposes
only. When analysis of the questionnaire is completed, all name and address
files will be destroyed. Thus the permanent data will be anonymous. Please
do not put your name or that of any member of your personal group on the
questionnaire. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not
required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently
valid OMB control number.
Burden estimate statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated
to average 20 minutes per response. Direct comments regarding the burden
estimate or any other aspect of this form to Margaret Littlejohn, NPS Visitor
Services Project, College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho, P.O. Box
441139, Moscow, ID, 83844-1139; email: [email protected].
3
4
Wind Cave National Park Visitor Study
Your Visit To Wind Cave National Park
NOTE: In this questionnaire “personal group” is defined as anyone that you are visiting the
park with, such as spouse, family, friends, etc. This does not include the larger group
that you might be traveling with, such as school, church, scouts, or tour group.
1.
a) Prior to this visit, how did you and your personal group obtain information about
Wind Cave National Park (NP)? Please mark ( ) all that apply in column (a).
•
b) If you were to visit Wind Cave NP in the future, how would you and your
personal group prefer to obtain information about the park? Please mark ( ) all
that apply in column (b).
•
a) Prior to this visit
b) Prior to future visits
O
Did not obtain information prior to visit Î Go to part b of this question
O
Chamber of commerce/welcome center
O
O
Friends/relatives/word of mouth
O
O
Inquiry to park via phone, mail, email
O
O
Local businesses (hotels, motels, restaurants, etc.)
O
O
Newspaper/magazine articles
O
O
Previous visits
O
O
School class/program
O
O
Social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
O
O
Television/radio programs/DVDs
O
O
Travel guides/tour books (such as AAA, etc.)
O
O
Wind Cave NP website: www.nps.gov/wica
O
O
Other websites
O
O
Other (Please specify below)
O
Prior to this visit
Prior to future visits
Note to OMB: all long list (14 answer) questions will be reversed in ½ of the questionnaires
c) From the sources marked in column (a) did you and your personal group
receive the type of information about the park that you needed?
O
No
O
Yes Î Go to Question 2
Wind Cave National Park Visitor Study
5
d) If NO, what type of park information did you and your personal group need that
was not available? Please be specific.
2.
3.
4.
•
How did this visit to Wind Cave NP fit into your travel plans? Please mark ( ) one.
O
Wind Cave NP was the primary destination
O
Wind Cave NP was one of several destinations
O
Wind Cave NP was not a planned destination
When did you and your group make the decision to visit Wind Cave NP? Please
mark ( ) one.
•
O
On the day of the visit
O
2-7 days before the visit
O
8-30 days before the visit
O
1-6 months before the visit
O
More than 6 months but less than a year before the visit
O
A year or more before the visit
For this trip, what was the primary reason that you and your personal group
visited Wind Cave NP area (within 30 miles)? Please mark ( ) one.
•
O
Resident of area (within 30 miles)
O
Visit friends/relatives in the area
O
Visit Wind Cave NP
O
Visit other attractions in the area
O
Traveling through - unplanned visit
O
Business
O
Other (Please specify)
5.
On this visit, were the signs directing you and your personal group to and within
Wind Cave NP adequate? Please mark ( ) one answer for each of the following.
•
a) Interstate signs
O
Yes
O
No
O
Did not use
b) State highway signs
O
Yes
O
No
O
Did not use
c) Signs in local communities
O
Yes
O
No
O
Did not use
d) Signs in the park
O
Yes
O
No
O
Did not use
6
Wind Cave National Park Visitor Study
e) If you answered NO for any of the above, please explain.
Interstate
State highway
In local communities
In park
6.
a) On this trip, did you and your personal group stay overnight away from home in
Wind Cave NP or in the area within 30 miles of any entrance point?
O
O
Yes
No Î
Go to Question 7
b) If YES, please list the number of nights you and your personal group stayed.
Number of nights inside Wind Cave NP
Number of nights outside park within 30 miles of park
c) and d) In what type of accommodation did you and your personal group spend
the night(s)? Please mark ( ) all that apply.
•
c) Inside park
d) Outside park within 30 miles
n/a
Lodge, motel, cabin, rented condo/home, or bed & breakfast
O
O
RV/trailer camping
O
O
Tent camping
O
O
Backcountry camping
O
n/a
Personal seasonal residence
O
O
Residence of friends or relatives
O
O
Other (Please specify below)
O
Inside
Outside
e) If you and your personal group camped in the area, but did not stay in Wind
Cave NP’s campground, why not? Please mark ( ) all that apply.
•
O
Unaware the park has campground
O
Lack of desired campsite type (Please specify)
O
Campground lacked desired facilities (Please specify)
O
Other (Please specify)
Wind Cave National Park Visitor Study
7.
7
a) As you were planning your trip to Wind Cave NP, which activities did you and
your personal group expect to include on this visit? Please mark ( ) all that
apply in column (a).
•
b) On this visit, in which activities did you and your personal group participate
while visiting Wind Cave NP? Please mark ( ) all that apply in column (b).
•
a) Expected activity
b) Activity this visit in Wind Cave NP
O
Camping
O
O
Cave tour
O
O
Enjoying natural quiet
O
O
Evening campground program
O
O
Hiking
O
O
Photography
O
O
Picnicking
O
O
Ranger-led demonstration on front lawn
O
O
Ranger-led Discovery Hike program
O
O
Scenic drive
O
O
Shopping at park bookstore
O
O
Stargazing
O
O
Viewing museum exhibits (in visitor center)
O
O
Viewing outdoor/roadside exhibits
O
O
Viewing park movie
O
O
Viewing wildlife/birds
O
O
Other (Please specify:
O
Expected
This visit
c) Which one of the above activities was most important to you and your personal
group on this visit to Wind Cave NP? Please list only one response.
8
Wind Cave National Park Visitor Study
8.
a) Please mark ( ) all the visitor services and facilities that you and your personal
group used at Wind Cave NP during this visit.
•
b) Next, for only those services and facilities that you and your personal group
used, please rate their importance to your visit from 1-5.
c) Finally, for only those services and facilities that you and your personal group
used, please rate their quality from 1-5.
b) If used,
how important?
1=Not important
2=Somewhat important
3=Moderately important
4=Very important
5=Extremely important
a) Visitor services/facilities used
Mark ( )
•
O
Assistance from park staff
O
Campground
O
Hiking trails
O
Information/bulletin boards
O
Junior Ranger program
O
Museum exhibits (in visitor center)
O
Outdoor/roadside exhibits
O
Park brochure/map
O
Park newspaper Passages
O
Park roads NPS 5 or NPS 6 (gravel/backcountry)
O
Park video
O
Parking lots
O
Picnic area
O
Ranger-led cave tour
O
Ranger-led programs (other than cave tour)
O
Restrooms
9.
c) If used,
what quality?
1=Very poor
2=Poor
3=Average
4=Good
5=Very good
a) Did you and your personal group visit the park bookstore in the visitor center?
O
Yes
O
No
Go on to Question 10
Wind Cave National Park Visitor Study
9
b) How would you rate the quality of sales items provided in the park bookstore?
Please mark ( ) one.
Very poor
Poor
Average
Good
Very good
•
O
O
O
O
O
c) What additional items, if any, would you and your personal group like to have
available in the park bookstore?
10. On this trip, where did you and your personal group stay on the night before and
the night after visiting Wind Cave NP? If you stayed at home, please write the
name of the town/city and state where you live.
a) BEFORE visit: Town/city
State
b) AFTER visit:
State
Town/city
11. On this trip, how many total hours or days did you and your personal group spend
visiting the Wind Cave NP? Please list partial hours or days as ¼, ½, ¾.
Number of hours, if less than 24 hours - OR Number of days, if 24 hours or more
12. a) On this visit, did you and your personal group take a cave tour or tours?
O Yes
O No Î Go on to Question 13
b) If YES, which cave tour(s) did you and your personal group take on this visit?
Please mark ( ) all that apply.
O Not sure which tour
O Fairgrounds Tour (1.5 hrs, ½ mi.)
•
O
Garden of Eden tour (1 hr, ¼ mi.)
O
Candlelight Tour (2 hrs, 1 mi.)
O
Wild Cave Tour (4 hrs, ½ mi.)
O
Natural Entrance Tour (1.25 hr, ½ mi)
O
Tours for visitors with special needs (1 hour, ¼ mile)
c) Why did you and your personal group select a particular cave tour(s)? Please
mark ( ) all that apply.
•
O
Length of tour – distance
O
Length of tour – time
O
Difficulty of tour/number of stairs
O
Cost of tour
O
Description of tour (features)
O
Availability at the desired time
O
Other (Please specify)
d) For the tour(s) that you took, please rate the value received for the fee paid.
Please mark ( ) one. (Tour name: _________________________________)
Very poor
Poor
Average
Good
Very good
•
O
O
O
O
O
10
Wind Cave National Park Visitor Study
e) How many people were in your cave tour?
Number of people
f) How crowded did you and your personal group feel during your cave tour?
Please mark ( ) one.
•
Extremely
crowded
Very
crowded
Moderately
crowded
A little
crowded
Not at all
crowded
O
O
O
O
O
g) What do you and your personal group think is the maximum acceptable number
of people in each cave tour group before it becomes too crowded? Please mark
( ) only one of the following:
•
O
It would be acceptable to see a maximum of
O
The number of people is important, but I cannot give a maximum.
O
It would not matter how many people are in the cave tour.
people.
13. a) Wind Cave NP visitor center has two museum exhibit areas: (1) Prairie exhibits
on the ground level and (2) Cave exhibits on the lower level. On this visit, did
you and your personal group view/use any of these exhibits?
O Yes, we used/view the prairie exhibits Ô
Go to part c
O Yes, we used/view the cave exhibits Ò
O
O
O
No, we did not use/view the any exhibits
•
b) If you did not view any exhibit, why not? Please mark ( ) all that apply.
Did not go to visitor center
O Have seen the exhibits on past visits
Did not know exhibits’ location
O
Knew exhibits’ location but not interested
O
Knew exhibits’ location but did not have time
O
Other (please specify)_______________________________________
c &d) For the exhibits that you used/viewed, please rate their quality from 1 to 5
for the following features for each exhibit.
Feature
c) Prairie exhibits d) Cave exhibits
1=Very poor 2=Poor 3=Average
4=Good 5=Very good
Lighting
Ease of understanding
Quality of content
Varieties of display modes (statics, computer
interactive, hand-on, audio-visual, etc.)
Order of displays
d. What did you and your personal group like most about the exhibits?
Wind Cave National Park Visitor Study
11
e. What did you and your personal group like least about the exhibits?
14. a) On this visit, did all members of your group take a cave tour at Wind Cave NP?
O
O
No
Yes Î Go to Question 15
b) If NO, what prevented the person(s) in your personal group from taking a cave
tour? Please mark ( ) all that apply.
•
O
Not interested in cave tours Î Go to Question 15
O
Took a cave tour on previous visit(s)
O
Lack of time
O
Cost of tour
O
Tours sold out
O
Inconvenient with young children
O
Inconvenient with pets
O
Physical limitations (mobility, problem with darkness, etc.)
O
Did not have proper outfits (warm clothes, proper footwear, etc.)
O
Other (Please specify)
15. a) On this visit to Wind Cave NP, did anyone in your personal group participate in
any of the ranger-led talks/programs, other than the cave tour?
O
O
No
Yes Î Go to Question 16
b) If NO, what prevented you and your personal group from participating in
ranger-led talks/programs? Please mark ( ) all that apply.
•
O
Not interested
O
O
Not aware of any ranger-led talks/programs offered at park
O
Not enough programs offered
O
Other (Please specify)
Did not have time for this activity
16. a) If you and your personal group were to visit Wind Cave NP again in the future,
in which types of ranger programs/activities would you like to participate?
Please mark ( ) all that apply.
•
O
Not interested in ranger programs/activities Î Go to Question 17
O
Ranger-led hikes
O
Ranger-led children’s
programs
O
Ranger talks
O
Demonstrations
12
Wind Cave National Park Visitor Study
O
Other (Please specify)
b) Which length of ranger-led activity would be most suitable for you and your
personal group? Please mark ( ) one.
•
O
Under 1/2 hour
O
1 - 2 hours
O
1/2 - 1 hour
O
Other
c) Which time of day would be most suitable for you and your personal group to
attend a ranger-led activity? Please mark ( ) one.
•
O
8 - 10 am
O
Noon - 2 pm
O
O
10 am - Noon
O
2 - 4 pm
O
After 4 pm
Other (Specify)
__________________
17. If fees for the following cave tours increased in the future, would you and your group
be willing to pay the proposed prices for each tour? Most or all of the funds would
stay in the park to support visitor programs. Please mark ( ) one for each tour.
Not
Willing to pay proposed fee?
Current Proposed
interested
Cave Tour
Yes
No
Not sure
fee
fee
in this tour
•
Garden of Eden
$7/adult
$10/adult
O
O
O
O
Natural Entrance
$9/adult
$15/adult
O
O
O
O
Fairgrounds
$7/adult
$15/adult
O
O
O
O
Historic Candlelight
$7/adult
$15/adult
O
O
O
O
Wild Cave
$23/adult $30/adult
O
O
O
O
18. How did the following elements affect you or your personal group's cave tour
experience? Please mark ( ) one answer for element.
O Did not go on a cave tour Î Go to Question 19
Detracted
Did not
Element
Added to No effect
from
experience
•
Level of lighting on trail
Visitors’ use of flash photography
Presence of young children
Lack of warm clothing
Visitors’ use of cell phones for light
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
Wind Cave National Park Visitor Study
13
Other elements (Please specify)
O
n/a
O
n/a
19. For you and your personal group, please report all expenditures for the items
listed below for this visit to Wind Cave NP and the surrounding area (within 30
miles of any entrance point). Please write "0" if no money was spent in a
particular category.
a) Please list your group's total expenditures inside Wind Cave NP.
b) Please list your group's total expenditures outside the park (within 30 miles).
NOTE: Surrounding area residents should only include expenditures that
were just for this visit to Wind Cave NP
EXPENDITURES
a) Inside park
b) Outside park
Lodges, hotels, motels, cabins, B&B, etc.
n/a
$
Camping fees and charges
$
$
Guide fees and charges
$
$
Bars/restaurants/snack bars
$
$
Groceries and takeout food
n/a
$
Gas and oil (auto, RV, boat, etc.)
n/a
$
Other transportation expenses
(rental cars, taxis, auto repairs, but
NOT airfare)
$
$
Admission fees
$
$
Recreation, entertainment fees
n/a
$
All other purchases (souvenirs, film, books,
sporting goods, clothing, etc.)
$
$
Donations
$
$
c) How many people do the above expenses cover?
Adults (18 years or over)
Children (under 18 years)
Please write 0 if you didn’t have any children
in the group covered by expenses
14
Wind Cave National Park Visitor Study
20. Overall, how would you rate the quality of the facilities, services, and recreational
opportunities provided to you and your personal group at Wind Cave NP during
this visit? Please mark ( ) one.
•
Very poor
O
Poor
Average
O
Good
O
Very good
O
O
21. After visiting Wind Cave NP, what aspect of the park’s story might you share with
family and friends? Please be specific.
22. a) On this visit, were you and your personal group part of a larger organized group
such as school/educational, commercial guided tour, church group, etc.?
O
Yes
O
No Î Go to Question 23
b) If YES, about how many people, including yourself, were in this group?
Number of people in organized group
23. a) On this visit, what kind of personal group (not guided tour/school/other
organized group) were you with? Please mark ( ) one.
•
O
Alone
O
Friends
O
Family
O
Family and friends
O
Other (Please specify)
b) On this visit, how many people were in your personal group, including yourself?
Number of people in personal group
24. For you and your personal group on this visit, please provide the following. If you
do not know the answer, leave blank.
Number of visits to
b) U.S. ZIP code
Wind Cave NP
(including this visit)
or name of
c) Past 12 d) Lifetime
country other
a) Current age
to date
than U.S.
months
Yourself
Member #2
Member #3
Member #4
Member #5
Member #6
Wind Cave National Park Visitor Study
15
Member #7
e) On this visit, how many vehicles did you and your personal group use to arrive
at the park? Please write 0 if you did not arrive by vehicles.
Number of vehicles
f) On this visit, how many times did you and your personal group enter the park?
Number of entries
25. a) Does anyone in your personal group have a physical condition that made it
difficult to access or participate in park activities or services?
O
O
Yes
No Î Go on to Question 26
b) If YES, what services or activities were difficult to access/participate in?
26. For you only, what is the highest level of education you have completed? Please
mark ( ) one.
•
O
Some high school
O
Bachelor’s degree
O
High school diploma/GED
O
Graduate degree
O
Some college
27. a) & b) When visiting an area such as Wind Cave NP, which language do you and
most members of your personal group prefer to use for the following?
a) Speaking:
O
English
O
Other (Specify)
b) Reading:
O
English
O
Other (Specify)
28. a) Which category best represents your annual household income? Please mark
( ) one.
•
O
Less than $24,999
O
$50,000-$74,999
O
$150,000-$199,999
O
$25,000-$34,999
O
$75,000-$99,999
O
$200,000 or more
O
$35,000-$49,999
O
$100,000-$149,999
O
Do not wish to answer
b) How many people are in your household?
Number of people
29. Is there anything else you and your personal group would like to tell us about your
visit to Wind Cave NP?
16
Wind Cave National Park Visitor Study
Thank you for your help! Please seal the questionnaire with the stickers provided and
drop it in any U.S. mailbox.
Printed on recycled paper
Visitor Services Project
Park Studies Unit
College of Natural Resources
University of Idaho
P.O. Box 441139
Moscow, Idaho 83844-1139
OFFICIAL BUSINESS
Social Science Division
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Visitor Services Project
Niobrara National Scenic River
Visitor Study
2
Niobrara National Scenic River Visitor Study
OMB Approval 1024-0224 (NPS# )
Expiration date:
United States Department of the Interior
IN REPLY REFER TO:
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
Niobrara National Scenic River
146 S. Hall St.
P.O. Box 319
Valentine, NE 69201
July 2010
Dear Visitor:
Thank you for participating in this important study. Our goal is to
learn about the expectations, opinions, and interests of visitors to
Niobrara National Scenic River. This information will assist us in
our efforts to better manage this park and to serve you.
This questionnaire is only being given to a select number of
visitors, so your participation is very important. It should only take
about 20 minutes to complete after your visit.
When your visit is over, please complete this questionnaire. Seal it
with the stickers provided on the last page and drop it in any U.S.
mailbox.
If you have any questions, please contact Margaret Littlejohn, NPS
VSP Director, Park Studies Unit, College of Natural Resources,
P.O. Box 441139, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho 838441139, phone: 208-885-7863, email: [email protected].
We appreciate your help.
Sincerely,
Dan Foster
Superintendent
Niobrara National Scenic River
This visitor study is partially funded by Recreation Fee Program funding.
Niobrara National Scenic River
Visitor Study
DIRECTIONS
At the end of your visit:
1) Please have the selected individual complete this questionnaire.
2) Answer the questions carefully since each question is different.
3) For questions that use circles (O), please mark your answer by
filling in the circle with black or blue ink, or a #2 pencil.
4) Seal it with the stickers provided.
5) Drop it in a U.S. mailbox.
Thank you!
PRIVACY ACT and PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT statement:
16 U.S.C. 1a-7 authorizes collection of this information. This information will be
used by park managers to better serve the public. Response to this request is
voluntary. No action may be taken against you for refusing to supply the
information requested. Your name is requested for follow-up mailing purposes
only. When analysis of the questionnaire is completed, all name and address
files will be destroyed. Thus the permanent data will be anonymous. Please do
not put your name or that of any member of your personal group on the
questionnaire. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not
required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently
valid OMB control number.
Burden estimate statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated
to average 20 minutes per response. Direct comments regarding the burden
estimate or any other aspect of this form to Margaret Littlejohn, NPS Visitor
Services Project, College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho, P.O. Box
441139, Moscow, ID, 83844-1139; email: [email protected].
3
4
Niobrara National Scenic River Visitor Study
Your Visit To Niobrara National Scenic River
NOTE: In this questionnaire “personal group” is defined as anyone that you are visiting the park
with, such as spouse, family, friends, etc. This does not include the larger group that
you might be traveling with, such as school, church, scouts, or tour group.
1. a) Prior to this visit, how did you and your personal group obtain information about
Niobrara National Scenic River (NSR)? Please mark ( ) all that apply in column a).
•
b) If you were to visit Niobrara NSR in the future, how would you and your personal
group prefer to obtain information about the park? Please mark ( ) all that apply
in column (b).
•
a) Prior to this visit
b) Prior to future visits
O
Did not obtain information prior to visit Î Go to part b of this question
O
Chamber of commerce/welcome center
O
O
Friends/relatives/word of mouth
O
O
Inquiry to park via phone, mail, email
O
O
Local businesses (motels, restaurants, outfitters, etc.)
O
O
Maps/brochures/rack cards
O
O
Newspaper/magazine articles
O
O
Niobrara National Scenic River website: www.nps.gov/niob
O
O
Other websites
O
O
Previous visits
O
O
School class/program
O
O
Social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
O
O
Television/radio programs/DVDs
O
O
Travel agent
O
O
Travel guides/tour books (such as AAA, etc.)
O
O
Other (Please specify):
O
Prior to this visit
Prior to future visits
Note to OMB: all long list (14 answer) questions will be reversed in ½ of the questionnaires
Niobrara National Scenic River
5
Visitor Study
c) From the sources marked in column (a), did you and your personal group receive
the type of information about the park that you needed?
O
O
No
Yes Î Go to Question 2
d) If NO, what type of park information did you and your personal group need that
was not available? Please be specific.
•
2. a) How did this visit to Niobrara NSR fit into your travel plans? Please mark ( ) one.
O
Niobrara National Scenic River was the primary destination
O
Niobrara National Scenic River was one of several destinations
O
Niobrara National Scenic River was not a planned destination
b) If Niobrara NSR was not your primary destination, what was?
3.
4.
On this trip, what were the reasons that you and your personal group came to
Niobrara NSR? Please mark ( ) all that apply.
•
O
Enjoy recreation in the park (floating, hiking, camping, hunting, etc.)
O
Enjoy scenery
O
Experience quiet/natural sounds and solitude
O
Socialize with family/friends
O
View or study plants or animals
O
Other (Please specify)
Niobrara National Scenic River (NSR) is managed by the National Park Service
and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through partnerships and agreements with
various agencies and organizations such as The Niobrara Council, The Nebraska
Game and Parks Commission, The Nature Conservancy, The Middle Niobrara
Natural Resources District, and with the cooperation of private landowners. Prior to
this visit, were you aware of the different entities that collaboratively administer this
site? Please mark ( ) one.
•
O
Yes, aware of the different groups managing Niobrara NSR
O
No, thought Niobrara NSR was managed by National Park Service only
O
O
No, thought Niobrara NSR was managed by other organizations, but not by
National Park Service
No, only aware of private landowners, but not other organizations
O
Didn’t know who managed Niobrara NSR
6
5.
Niobrara National Scenic River Visitor Study
•
On the list below, please mark ( ) all the locations at Niobrara National Scenic
River that you and your personal group visited during this visit. Use the map below
to help find the locations.
O
Cornell Bridge Landing
O
Brewer Bridge Landing
O
Ft. Niobrara Wildlife Refuge
O
Rocky Ford Landing
O
Berry Bridge Landing
O
Norden Bridge
O
Smith Falls State Park
O
Niobrara Valley Preserve (TNC)
O
Other (Please specify)
`
Highway 12
Cornell
Bridge
Landing
Valentine
Berry Bridge
Landing
Smith Falls
State Park
Ft. Niobrara
Nat'l Wildlife
Refuge
Brewer Bridge
Landing
Rocky Ford
Landing
Norden Bridge
TNC
6.
a) Using the map above, which location at Niobrara National Scenic River did you
and your group visit first? Please list only one.
First location visited
b) Using the map above, which location at Niobrara National Scenic River did you
and your group visit last? Please list only one.
Last location visited
7.
On this visit, how much time in total (both on land and on the river) did you and
your personal group spend visiting Niobrara NSR? Please list partial hours or days
as ¼, ½, or ¾.
Number of hours if less than 24 hours
OR
Number of days if 24 hours or more
Niobrara National Scenic River
7
Visitor Study
8. a) As you were planning your trip to Niobrara NSR, which activities did you and your
personal group expect to include on this visit? Please mark ( ) all that apply in
column (a).
•
b) On this visit, in which activities did you and your personal group participate at
Niobrara NSR? Please mark ( ) all that apply in column (b).
•
a) Expected activity
b) Activity on this visit
O
Attending ranger programs
O
O
Camping
O
O
Canoeing/kayaking
O
O
Enjoying natural quiet
O
O
Fishing
O
O
Hiking
O
O
Horseback riding
O
O
Photography
O
O
Picnicking
O
O
Recreational sports (Frisbee, horseshoes, etc)
O
O
Star-gazing
O
O
Swimming
O
O
Tubing
O
O
Viewing wildlife/birds
O
O
Other (Please specify)
O
Expected
This visit
c) Which one of the above activities was most important to you and your personal
group on this visit? Please list only one response.
d) Were there any activities that you and your personal groups had expected
to do but were unable to do?
O
Yes
O
No Î Go on to Question 9
8
Niobrara National Scenic River Visitor Study
e) If YES, why weren’t you able to do what you wanted to do?
O
O
O
O
9.
Financial constraints
Time constraints
Weather conditions
Other reasons (Please specify)
•
a) Please mark ( ) all the visitor services and facilities that you or your personal
group used at Niobrara National Scenic River during this visit.
b) Next, for only those services and facilities that you or your personal group used,
please rate their importance to your visit from 1-5.
c) Finally, for only those services and facilities that you or your personal group
used, please rate their quality from 1-5.
b) If used,
how important?
1=Not important
2=Somewhat important
3=Moderately important
4=Very important
5=Extremely important
a) Visitor services/facilities used
Mark ( )
•
O
Access for people with disabilities
O
Assistance from park staff
O
Niobrara NSR brochure/map
O
Orientation/park information
O
Ranger talks/programs
O
Restrooms
O
Signs along the river
O
Park website: www.nps.gov/niob
used before or during visit
c) If used,
what quality?
1=Very poor
2=Poor
3=Average
4=Good
5=Very good
10. a) Compared to what you and your personal group expected, how would you rate
your overall experience at Niobrara NSR? Please mark ( ) one.
•
Exceeded expectation
O
About the same
O
Worse than expected
O
b) If this trip did not meet your expectations, what additional facilities or services
should be provided to enhance your experience?
Niobrara National Scenic River
9
Visitor Study
11. a) If you and your personal group used the park website (www.nps.gov/niob) prior
to or during this visit, please rate how helpful the website was in planning your
visit, by marking ( ) one response below.
•
O
Did not use the park website Î Go to Question 12
Not at all
helpful
Somewhat
helpful
Moderately
helpful
Very
helpful
Extremely
helpful
O
O
O
O
O
b) If you rated the park website as “Not at all helpful” or “Somewhat helpful,” how
would you improve the current website?
12. a) Whether or not you used them on this trip, please rate the importance from 1-5
of the following commercial/outfitter services to you and your personal group.
•
b) Please mark ( ) all the commercial/outfitter services and facilities that you or
your personal group used during this trip to Niobrara NSR.
c) Finally, for only those services and facilities that you or your personal group
used, please rate their quality from 1-5.
a) How important? (Please rate, even if you did
not use on this trip.)
1=Not important
2=Somewhat important
3=Moderately important
4=Very important
5=Extremely important
b) Services
and facilities
used during
this visit
•
Mark ( )
Campgrounds
O
Restrooms
O
Canoe/kayak/tube rental
O
Customer service
O
Education/river information
O
River safety orientation
O
Shuttle/transportation
O
c) If used,
what quality?
1=Very poor
2=Poor
3=Average
4=Good
5=Very good
10
Niobrara National Scenic River Visitor Study
13. During this visit to Niobrara National Scenic River, please indicate how the
following elements may have affected you and your personal group’s park
experience. Please mark ( ) one response for each element.
•
Detracted No effect
from
Element
Added to
Did not
experience
Consumption of alcohol by other visitors
O
O
O
O
Development along the river (towers,
houses, barns, etc.)
O
O
O
O
Good river ethics
O
O
O
O
Litter on the river (glass, plastic,
Styrofoam)
O
O
O
O
Noisy visitors
O
O
O
O
Nudity
O
O
O
O
Poor river ethics
O
O
O
O
Public access areas to the river
O
O
O
O
Availability of ranger interpretive programs
O
O
O
O
Ranger presence
O
O
O
O
Signage along the river
O
O
O
O
14. On this visit to Niobrara National Scenic River, compared to what you expected,
how crowded did you and your group feel at the following locations? Please mark
( ) one response for each location.]
•
How crowded?
Less than About same More than
expected as expected expected
Location
Did not
use the
facility
Did not
know what
to expect
In campgrounds
O
O
O
O
O
On landings/boat launch areas
O
O
O
O
O
On the river
O
O
O
O
O
On the roads
O
O
O
O
O
On trails
O
O
O
O
O
15. a) Did you and your group rent any equipment (canoe, kayak, tube, tank, etc.) from
a commercial outfitter? Please mark ( ) one answer.
•
O
Yes
O
No Î Go to Question 16
Niobrara National Scenic River
11
Visitor Study
b) For you and your group, did you feel the pre-trip safety and river orientation
briefing provided by the commercial outfitter was adequate? Please mark ( )
one answer.
•
O
Yes
O
No
O
Did not receive pre-trip safety briefing
c) If you answered “No,” please explain.
16. Niobrara National Scenic River was established to preserve and protect natural
features and scenery and visitor experiences that depend on these. On this visit,
how important was the protection of the following to you? Please mark ( ) one
answer for each attribute/resource.
•
Not
Somewhat Moderately
Very
Extremely
important important important important important
Attribute/resource
Clean air/visibility
O
O
O
O
O
Clean water
O
O
O
O
O
Dark, starry night sky
O
O
O
O
O
Educational opportunities
O
O
O
O
O
Geologic features
O
O
O
O
O
Natural quiet/sounds of nature
O
O
O
O
O
Plant diversity
O
O
O
O
O
Recreational opportunities
O
O
O
O
O
Scenic views
O
O
O
O
O
Solitude
O
O
O
O
O
Wildlife
O
O
O
O
O
(floating, hiking, camping, etc.)
17. a) If you were to visit Niobrara National Scenic River in the future, would you and
your personal group be interested in attending ranger-led programs?
O
Yes, likely
O
Ô
No, unlikely
Go to Question 18
O
Not sure
Ó
•
b) If YES, how long should the program be? Please mark ( ) one.
O
Less than ½ hour
O
½ hour
O
1 hour
O
More than 1 hour
12
Niobrara National Scenic River Visitor Study
18. a. If you were to visit Niobrara National Scenic River in the future, which topics would
you and your personal group be most interested in learning (or learning more)
about? Please mark ( ) all that apply.
•
O
Not interested in learning about the park Î Go to Question 19
O
Cliff and canyon rock formations, waterfalls and erosion effects
O
Diversity and identity of plants and animals
O
Human history of the area
O
Nationally and internationally significant fossil finds
O
Threats to high water quality and consistent quantity
O
Variety of recreation available
O
Other (Please specify)
b. If you were to visit in the future, how would you and your personal group prefer
to learn about the natural and cultural history of Niobrara National Scenic River?
Please mark ( ) all that apply.
•
O
O
Not interested in learning about natural and cultural history Î Go to
Question 19
Films, movies, slideshows
O Children’s programs
O
Guided activities/informational programs
O
Self-guided tours
O
Outdoor exhibits
O
Special events
O
Park website: www.nps.gov/niob
O
Volunteer opportunities
O
Printed materials (brochures, books, maps, etc.)
O
Roving rangers available to answer questions
O
Electronic media/devices for visitors (downloadable digital files, podcasts,
cell phone tours, interactive computer programs/tours, audio, etc.)
O
Other (Please specify)
19. a) On this visit, did anyone in your personal group have difficulty accessing or
participating in any activities or services?
O
Yes
O
No Î Go to Question 20
b) If YES, what activities or services did the person(s) have difficulty accessing or
participating in during this visit? Please be specific.
Niobrara National Scenic River
13
Visitor Study
20. On this visit, were you and your personal group part of one of the following types of
organized groups? Please mark ( ) one for each.
•
a) Commercial guided tour group
O
Yes
O
No
b) School/educational group
O
Yes
O
No
c) Other group (scouts, work, church, etc.)
O
Yes
O
No
d) If you were with one of these organized groups, about how many people,
including yourself, were in this group?
Number of people in organized group
21. a) On this visit, what kind of personal group (not guided tour/school/other
organized group) were you with? Please mark ( ) one.
•
O
Alone
O
Friends
O
Family
O
Family and friends
O
Other (Please specify)
b) On this visit, how many people were in your personal group, including yourself?
Number of people in personal group
c) On this visit, how many vehicles did you and your personal group use to arrive
at the park? Please write 0 if you did not arrive by vehicle.
Number of vehicles
22. For you and your personal group on this visit, please provide the following
information. If you do not know the answer, leave blank.
a) Current
age
Yourself
Member #2
Member #3
Member #4
Member #5
Member #6
Member #7
Number of visits to Niobrara NSR
(including this visit)
b) U.S. ZIP code or
c) In past 12
d) Lifetime to
name of country
other than U.S.
months
date
14
Niobrara National Scenic River Visitor Study
23. For you only, what is the highest level of education you have completed? Please
mark ( ) one.
•
O
Some high school
O
Bachelor’s degree
O
High school diploma/GED
O
Graduate degree
O
Some college
24. a) Are you or members of your personal group Hispanic or Latino? Please mark
( ) one for each group member.
•
Member Member Member Member Member
#4
#5
#6
#7
#3
Yourself
Member
#2
Yes, Hispanic
or Latino
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
No, not
Hispanic or
Latino
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
b) What is your race? What is the race of each member of your personal group?
Please mark ( ) one or more for you and each group member.
•
Yourself
Member Member Member Member Member Member
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
American Indian
or Alaska Native
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
Asian
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
Black or African
American
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
Native Hawaiian
or other Pacific
Islander
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
White
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
25. a) & b) When visiting an area such as Niobrara National Scenic River, which
languages do you and most members of your personal group prefer to use for
the following?
a) Speaking:
O
English
O
Other (Specify)
b) Reading:
O
English
O
Other (Specify)
c) In your opinion, what services in the park need to be provided in languages other
than English? Please specify a service(s) or mark ( ) “None.”
•
Service(s)
O
None
Niobrara National Scenic River
15
Visitor Study
26. a) Which category best represents your annual household income? Please mark
( ) one.
•
O
Less than $24,999
O
$50,000-$74,999
O
$150,000-$199,999
O
$25,000-$34,999
O
$75,000-$99,999
O
$200,000 or more
O
$35,000-$49,999
O
$100,000-$149,999
O
Do not wish to answer
Number of people
b) How many people are in your household?
27. a) On this visit, what did you and your personal group like most about your visit to
Niobrara National Scenic River?
b) On this visit, what did you and your personal group like least about your visit to
Niobrara National Scenic River?
28. If you were a manager planning for the future of Niobrara National Scenic River,
what would you and your personal group propose?
29. Is there anything else you and your personal group would like to tell us about your
visit to Niobrara National Scenic River?
30. Overall, how would you rate the quality of the facilities, services, and recreational
opportunities provided to you and your personal group at Niobrara NSR during this
visit? Please mark ( ) one.
•
Very poor
O
Poor
O
Average
O
Good
O
Very good
O
Thank you for your help! Please seal the questionnaire with the stickers provided and
drop it in any U.S. mailbox.
Printed on recycled paper
Visitor Services Project
Park Studies Unit
College of Natural Resources
University of Idaho
P.O. Box 441139
Moscow, Idaho 83844-1139
OFFICIAL BUSINESS
Social Science Division
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Visitor Services Project
Delaware Water Gap
National Recreation Area
River Visitor Study
2
Delaware Water Gap NRA Visitor Study
OMB Approval 1024- (NPS #-)
Expiration Date: xx-xx-xxxx
United States Department of the Interior
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
Delaware Water Gap
National Recreation Area
One River Road
Bushkill, PA 18324
IN REPLY REFER TO:
Summer, 2010
Dear Park Visitor:
Hello and thank you for participating in this important study. I want to learn what
your expectations and interests are in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation
Area. I also want to hear your opinions. This information will assist me in better
managing the park and serving you.
This questionnaire is only being given to a select number of visitors, so your
participation is very important! It should only take about 20 minutes after your
visit to complete.
We provide the postage, so when you finish it, seal it with the stickers provided
on the last page and drop it in any U.S. mailbox.
If you have any questions, please contact Margaret Littlejohn, NPS VSP
Director, Park Studies Unit, College of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 441139,
University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho 83844-1139, phone: 208-885-7863, email:
[email protected].
We appreciate your help.
Sincerely,
John J. Donahue
Superintendent
Delaware Water Gap NRA Visitor Study
3
DIRECTIONS
At the end of your visit:
1) Please have the selected individual complete this questionnaire.
2) Answer the questions carefully since each question is different.
3) For questions that use circles (O), please mark your answer by
filling in the circle with black or blue ink, or a pencil with dark
(e.g. #2) lead.
4) Seal it with the stickers provided.
5) Drop it in a U.S. mailbox.
Thank you!
PRIVACY ACT and PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT statement:
16 U.S.C. 1a-7 authorizes collection of this information. This information will be used
by park managers to better serve the public. Response to this request is voluntary.
No action may be taken against you for refusing to supply the information requested.
Your name is requested for follow-up mailing purposes only. When analysis of the
questionnaire is completed, all name and address files will be destroyed. Thus the
permanent data will be anonymous. Please do not put your name or that of any
member of your personal group on the questionnaire. An agency may not conduct or
sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless
it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
Burden estimate statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to
average 20 minutes per response. Direct comments regarding the burden estimate or
any other aspect of this form to Margaret Littlejohn, NPS Visitor Services Project,
College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho, P.O. Box 441139, Moscow, ID,
83844-1139; email: [email protected].
4
Delaware Water Gap NRA Visitor Study
Your Visit To Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
NOTE: In this questionnaire “personal group” is defined as anyone that you are visiting the
park with, such as spouse, family, friends, etc. This does not include the larger group
that you might be traveling with, such as school, church, scouts, or tour group.
1.
Prior to this visit, were you and your personal group aware that Delaware Water
Gap National Recreation Area (NRA) is managed by the National Park Service?
O
2.
Yes
O
O
No
Not sure
a) Prior to this visit, how did you and your personal group obtain information about
Delaware Water Gap NRA? Please mark ( ) all that apply in column (a).
•
b) If you were to visit Delaware Water Gap NRA in the future, how would you and
your personal group prefer to obtain information about the park? Please mark ( )
all that apply in column (b).
•
a) Prior to this visit
b) Prior to future visits
O
Did not obtain information prior to visit Î Go to part c of this question
O
Chamber of commerce/visitor bureau
O
O
Commercial outfitter (livery) websites
O
O
Delaware Water Gap NRA website: www.nps.gov/dewa
O
O
Other websites (Specify)
O
O
Friends/relatives/word of mouth
O
O
Inquiry to park via phone, mail, or email
O
O
Local businesses (hotels, motels, restaurants, etc.)
O
O
Newspaper/magazine articles
O
O
Park brochure (overview NPS brochure with map, or topical brochures)
O
O
Pocono Mountains Visitor Bureau
O
O
Previous visits
O
O
Social media (such as Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
O
O
Television/radio programs/videos/DVDs
O
O
Travel guides/tour books (such as AAA, etc.)
O
O
Other (Please specify below)
O
Prior to this visit
Prior to future visits
Note to OMB: all long list (14 answer) questions will be reversed in ½ of the questionnaires
Delaware Water Gap NRA Visitor Study
5
c) From the sources marked in column (a), did you and your personal group receive
the type of information (including safety information) about the park that you
needed?
O
O
No
Yes Î Go to Question 3
d) If NO, what type of park information---including safety information---did you and
your personal group need that was not available? Please be specific.
3.
On this visit, were the signs directing you and your personal group to and around
Delaware Water Gap NRA adequate? Please mark ( ) one answer for each of the
following.
a) Interstate signs
O Yes
O No
O Did not use
•
b) State highway signs
O
Yes
O
No
O
Did not use
c) Signs in local communities
O
Yes
O
No
O
Did not use
d) Signs in the park
O
Yes
O
No
O
Did not use
e) If you answered NO for any of the above, how would you improve the signs?
Interstate
State highway
In local communities
Within park
4.
5.
How did this visit to Delaware Water Gap NRA fit into you and your personal group’s
travel plans? Please mark ( ) one.
•
O
Delaware Water Gap NRA was the primary destination
O
Delaware Water Gap NRA was one of several destinations
O
Delaware Water Gap NRA was not a planned destination
On this visit to Delaware Water Gap NRA, how long did you and your group visit
the park? Please list partial hours or days as ¼, ½, or ¾.
Number of hours (if less than 24 hours), OR
Number of days (if 24 hours or more)
6.
On this trip, where did you and your personal group stay on the night before and
the night after visiting Delaware Water Gap NRA? If you stayed at home, please
write the name of the town/city and state where you live.
a) BEFORE visit: Town/city
State
b) AFTER visit:
State
Town/city
6
7.
Delaware Water Gap NRA Visitor Study
a) In which community or communities did you and your personal group receive
support services (e.g. gas, food, or lodging) for this visit to Delaware Water Gap
NRA (listed north to south)? Please mark ( ) all that apply.
•
O
None Î Go to Question 8
O
Bushkill, PA
O
Blairstown, NJ
O
Delaware Water Gap, PA
O
Layton, NJ
O
Montague, NJ
O
Dingmans Ferry, PA
O
Milford, PA
O
Portland, PA
O
Marshalls Creek, PA
O
East Stroudsburg, PA
O
Port Jervis, NY
O
Shawnee on Delaware, PA
O
Stroudsburg, PA
O
Sussex, NJ
O
Other (Please specify)
b) Were you and your personal group able to obtain all the services that you
needed in these communities?
O
No
O
Yes Î Go to Question 8
c) If NO, what services were not available?
Service (List)
Comments (Please be specific)
8. On this trip, what were your top three reasons for visiting this part of Pennsylvania
and New Jersey (within 20 miles of Delaware Water Gap NRA)? Please write 1, 2
and 3 on the lines below.
Resident of this part of Pennsylvania/New Jersey Î Go to Question 9
Visit Delaware Water Gap NRA
Visit other area attractions (shopping, etc.)
Visit friends/relatives
Business trip
Traveling through - unplanned visit
Recreation (canoeing, fishing, hiking, hunting, swimming, etc.)
Other (Please specify)
9.
a) On this visit, how many vehicles did you and your personal group use to arrive
at the park? Please write “0” if you did not arrive by vehicle.
Number of vehicles
Delaware Water Gap NRA Visitor Study
7
b) On this visit, which forms of transportation did you and your group use to arrive
at Delaware Water Gap NRA? Please mark ( ) all that apply.
•
O
Private vehicle (car, SUV, pickup, RV, motorcycle, etc.)
O
Rental or rideshare vehicle
O
Commuter bus
O
Train
O
Other (for example: bicycle, walk)
c) On this visit, how many times did you and your personal group enter Delaware
Water Gap NRA?
Number of entries
10. a) On this trip, did you and your personal group stay overnight away from home in
Delaware Water Gap NRA or within 20 miles of Delaware Water Gap NRA?
O
O
Yes
No Î Go on to Question 11
b) If YES, please list the number of nights you and your personal group stayed.
Number of nights in Delaware Water Gap NRA
Number of nights outside Delaware Water Gap NRA (within 20 miles)
c) and d) In which types of lodging did you and your personal group spend the
night(s)? Please mark ( ) all that apply.
•
c) Inside Delaware
Water Gap NRA
d) Outside park
within 20 miles
O
Lodge, motel, cabin, rented condo/home, B&B
O
O
RV/trailer camping
O
O
Tent camping in a developed campground
O
O
Backcountry or river camping
O
n/a
Personal seasonal residence
O
n/a
Residence of friends or relatives
O
O
Other (Please specify below)
O
Inside park
Outside park
11. a) During this visit to Delaware Water Gap NRA, did you and your personal group
take a personal (non-livery) canoe/kayak/boat trip?
O
Yes
O
No Î Go to Question 12
b) and c) Please list your starting and ending point on the river.
b) Starting point
c) Ending point
8
Delaware Water Gap NRA Visitor Study
d) On this visit, which type(s) of watercraft did you and your personal group use?
Please mark ( ) all that apply.
•
O
None
O
Canoe
O
O
Tube
O
Other (Please specify)
Kayak
O
Raft
O
Boat
12. a) On this visit to Delaware Water Gap NRA, in which activities did you and your
group participate? Please mark ( ) all that apply.
•
•
b) and c) Please mark ( ) all activities in which you and your personal group have
participated on previous visits and may participate in on future visits.
a) Activities
this visit
b) Previous
visits
c) Future
visits
O
Attending ranger programs
O
O
O
Bicycling
O
O
O
Bird watching/nature study
O
O
O
Boating
O
O
O
Camping
O
O
O
Canoeing with canoe liveries
O
O
O
Canoeing with private canoes/kayaks
O
O
O
Fishing
O
O
O
Hiking/walking
O
O
O
Hunting
O
O
O
Picnicking
O
O
O
Swimming
O
O
O
Viewing scenery/river views/waterfalls
O
O
O
Visiting historic sites
O
O
O
Other (Please specify below)
O
O
This visit
Previous visits
Future visits
d) Which one of the above activities was most important to you and your personal
group on this visit to Delaware Water Gap NRA? List one activity below.
Delaware Water Gap NRA Visitor Study
9
13. For this trip, please list the order (#1, 2, 3, etc.) in which you and your personal
group visited the following sites at Delaware Water Gap NRA. If you did not visit a
site, please leave that line blank. Use the map attached to this survey to help
you locate the sites you visited.
Milford Beach
Smithfield Beach
Turtle Beach
Bushkill Access
Dingmans Boat Launch
Poxono Access
Pocono Environmental Education Ctr.
Hialeah Picnic Area
Dingmans Falls/Visitor Center
Kittattiny Point Visitor Center
Bushkill Visitor Center
Overlooks (Resort Point,
Point of Gap, Arrow Island)
Park Headquarters
Raymondskill Falls
Van Campens Glen Recreation Site
Watergate Rec. Site
Dingmans Campground
Childs Park Rec. Site
Valley View Campground
Riversbend Campground
Mohican Outdoor Center
Millbrook Village
Peters Valley Art Center
Other (Please specify below)
14. a) On this visit to Delaware Water Gap NRA, how much did each of the following
elements detract from your park experience? Please mark ( ) one for each.
•
Element
Campfire rings
Crowds
Graffiti
Human waste
Litter
Other recreational users
Park roads
Amount of parking
Power-lines and signs
Trailheads
Unmarked trails
Not at all
A little
Moderate
amount
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
A lot
Did not
Experience
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
10
Delaware Water Gap NRA Visitor Study
b) During this trip, did you and your personal group canoe/kayak, camp, boat or
hike in Delaware Water Gap NRA?
O
O
Yes
No Î Go on to Question 15
c) If YES, while canoeing/kayaking, camping, boating or hiking, about how many
people, besides people in your personal group, did you see per day? Please
mark ( ) one answer in each column.
•
Canoers/Kayakers
Campers
Other boats
Hikers
O
None
O
None
O
None
O
None
O
1 - 100
O
1-20
O
1 - 20
O
1 - 20
O
100 -250
O
21 or more
O
21 or more
O
21 or more
O
250 or more
O
O
Do not
remember
O
Do not
remember
O
Do not
remember
Do not
remember
15. If you were to visit Delaware Water Gap NRA in the future, which topics would you
and your personal group prefer to learn (or learn more) about? Please mark ( ) all
that apply.
•
O
Not interested in learning about the park Î Go to Question 16
O
American Indian heritage
O
Bird watching
O
Copper mining
O
Fishing
O
Ecology/conservation
O
Geology
O
History and historic structures
O
Hunting
O
Natural history
O
Logging
O
Recreational opportunities (canoeing, etc.)
O
Wildlife
16. a) Currently, no camping fee is charged at Delaware Water Gap NRA. In the
future, if a fee of $10 per campsite per night were charged to reserve a river
campsite, and all or most of the revenue stayed in the park to improve visitor
services, would you be willing to pay this? Please mark ( ) one.
•
O
O
Not interested in river camping
Yes, likely
O
No, unlikely
O
Not sure
Delaware Water Gap NRA Visitor Study
11
17. There is a proposal to expand power lines within the river corridor through a
section of Delaware Water Gap NRA and the Middle Delaware Wild and Scenic
River. What is your opinion about how this might affect your park experience?
O Add to
O No effect
O
Detract
experience
on experience
from experience
18. The National Park Service is responsible for protecting Delaware Water Gap NRA’s
scenic, historic and scientific resources, while at the same time providing for public
enjoyment. How important is protection of the following resources/attributes to you
and your personal group? Please mark ( ) one answer for each resource/attribute.
•
Park resource/attribute
Not
Somewhat Moderately
Very
Extremely
important important important important important
Clean drinking water
O
O
O
O
O
Clean air (visibility)
O
O
O
O
O
River with outstanding water quality
O
O
O
O
O
Geologic features (mountains,
O
O
O
O
O
Historic features and buildings
O
O
O
O
O
Educational programs/
opportunities
O
O
O
O
O
Dark, starry night sky
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
Scenic views/vistas
O
O
O
O
O
Swimming beaches
O
O
O
O
O
Solitude
O
O
O
O
O
Delaware Water Gap, etc.)
Lakes, waterfalls and other water
features (other than river)
Native wildlife
Native plants
Natural quiet/sounds of nature
Recreational opportunities
(hiking, boating, fishing, etc.)
12
Delaware Water Gap NRA Visitor Study
•
19. a) Please mark ( ) all the information services that you and your personal group
used during this visit to Delaware Water Gap NRA.
b) Next, for only those services that you or your personal group used, please rate
their importance to your visit from 1-5.
c) Finally, for only those services that you or your personal group used, please
rate their quality from 1-5.
a) Information services used
•
Mark ( )
b) If used,
how important?
1=Not important
2=Somewhat important
3=Moderately important
4=Very important
5=Extremely important
O
Assistance from park concessionaires
O
Assistance from park rangers (land-based)
O
O
Assistance from park rangers (in boat)
O
Delaware Water Gap NRA website:
www.nps.gov/dewa (used before or during visit)
O
Launch site safety signs
O
Park brochure/map
O
Park ranger-led walks/programs
O
Specialized bulletins (river guide,
canoe livery list, etc.)
O
Trailhead signs/bulletin boards
O
Visitor center staff
O
Visitor center exhibits
c) If used,
what quality?
1=Very poor
2=Poor
3=Average
4=Good
5=Very good
Boat and canoe launch site signs/bulletins
d) If you and your personal group have comments on any of the above information
services, please use the lines below.
Service (List)
Comment (Please be specific)
Delaware Water Gap NRA Visitor Study
13
•
20. a) Please mark ( ) all the visitor facilities that you and your personal group used
during this visit to Delaware Water Gap NRA.
b) Next, for only those facilities that you or your personal group used, please rate
their importance to your visit from 1-5.
c) Finally, for only those facilities that you or your personal group used, please
rate their quality from 1-5.
a) Visitor facilities used
•
Mark ( )
b) If used,
how important?
1=Not important
2=Somewhat important
3=Moderately important
4=Very important
5=Extremely important
O
Boat launches
O
Developed campgrounds (Dingmans,
Rivers Bend, Valley View)
Canoe launches
O
O
O
Highway directional signs
(inside and outside the park)
Hiking/biking trails
O
Navigation aids
O
Park overlooks/vistas
O
Parking lots
O
Picnic facilities
O
Portable toilets/pit toilets
O
Pull-offs
O
Restrooms (other than portables)
O
River campsites
O
Roads
c) If used,
what quality?
1=Very poor
2=Poor
3=Average
4=Good
5=Very good
d) If you and your personal group have comments on any of the above facilities,
please use the lines below.
Facility (List)
Comment (Please be specific)
14
Delaware Water Gap NRA Visitor Study
21. For you and your personal group, please report all expenditures for the items listed
below for this visit to the Delaware Water Gap NRA area (within a 20-mile drive).
Please write "0" if no money was spent in a particular category.
a) Please list your group's total expenditures inside Delaware Water Gap NRA.
b) Please list your group's total expenditures outside the park.
NOTE: Surrounding area residents should only include expenditures that were
just for this trip to Delaware Water Gap NRA.
EXPENDITURES
b) Outside park
a) Inside park
within 20 miles
Hotels, motels, inns, cabins, B&B, etc.
$
$
Camping fees
$
$
Guide fees and charges
Free
$
Restaurants and bars
$
$
Groceries and take out food
$
$
Gas and oil (auto, RV, boat, etc.)
n/a
$
Other transportation expenses
(rental cars, auto repairs, taxies, but
not including airfare)
n/a
$
Admissions, recreation, entertainment
fees
$
$
(casinos, resorts, etc.)
All other purchases (souvenirs, books,
sporting goods, clothing, etc.)
$
$
Donations
$
$
c) How many people do the above expenses cover?
Children (under 18 years)
Adults (18 years or over)
Please write “0” if no children were
covered by the expenditures.
22. On this visit, were you and your personal group part of the following types of organized
groups? Please mark ( ) one for each.
a) Commercial guided tour group
O Yes
O No
•
b) School/educational group
O
Yes
O
No
c) Other (scouts, work, church, senior center)
O
Yes
O
No
d) If you were with one of these organized groups, about how many people, including
yourself, were in this group?
Number of people in organized group
23. a) On this visit, how many people were in your personal group, including yourself?
Delaware Water Gap NRA Visitor Study
Number of people in personal group
15
b) On this visit, which kind of personal group (not guided tour/school/other
organized group) were you with? ? Please mark ( ) one.
•
O
Alone
O
Friends
O
Family
O
Family and friends
O
Other (Please specify)
24. For you and your personal group on this visit, please provide the following. If you
do not know the answer, please leave blank.
a) Current age
b) U.S. ZIP code or
name of country
other than U.S.
Number of visits to
Delaware Water Gap NRA
(including this visit)
c) In past 5 d) Lifetime
years
to date
You
Member #2
Member #3
Member #4
Member #5
Member #6
Member #7
25. If you were a manager planning for the future of Delaware Water Gap NRA, what
would you and your personal group propose? Please be specific.
26. Is there anything else you and your personal group would like to tell us about
your visit to Delaware Water Gap NRA?
27. Overall, how would you rate the quality of facilities, services and recreational
opportunities provided to you and your personal group at Delaware Water Gap
NRA during this trip? Please mark ( ) one.
•
Very poor
Poor
Average
Good
Very good
16
Delaware Water Gap NRA Visitor Study
O
O
O
O
O
Thank you for your help! Please seal the questionnaire with the stickers provided and
drop it in any U.S. mailbox.
Printed on recycled paper
Visitor Services Project
Park Studies Unit
College of Natural Resources
University of Idaho
P.O. Box 441139
Moscow, Idaho 83844-1139
OFFICIAL BUSINESS
Social Science Division
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Visitor Services Project
Fossil Butte
National Monument
Visitor Study
Fossil Butte National Monument Visitor Study
OMB Approval 1024-XXXX (NPS# xx-XXX)
Expiration date: XXX-xxxx
2
United States Department of the Interior
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
Fossil Butte National Monument
PO Box 592
Kemmerer, WY 83101
IN REPLY REFER TO:
August 2010
Dear Visitor:
Thank you for participating in this important study. Our goal is to
learn about the expectations, opinions, and interests of visitors to
Fossil Butte National Monument. This information will assist us in
our efforts to better manage this park and to serve you.
This questionnaire is only being given to a select number of
visitors, so your participation is very important! It should only take
about 20 minutes after your visit to complete.
When your visit is over, please complete this questionnaire. Seal it
with the stickers provided on the last page and drop it in any U.S.
mailbox.
If you have any questions, please contact Margaret Littlejohn, NPS
VSP Coordinator, Park Studies Unit, College of Natural
Resources, P.O. Box 441139, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho
83844-1139, phone: 208-885-7863, email: [email protected].
We appreciate your help.
Sincerely,
David McGinnis
Superintendent
This visitor study is partially funded by Recreation Fee Program funding.
Fossil Butte National Monument Visitor Study
3
DIRECTIONS
At the end of your visit:
1) Please have the selected individual complete this questionnaire.
2) Answer the questions carefully since each question is different.
3) For questions that use circles (O), please mark your answer by
filling in the circle with black or blue ink, or a pencil with dark
(e.g. #2) lead.
4) Seal it with the stickers provided.
5) Drop it in a U.S. mailbox.
Thank you!
PRIVACY ACT and PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT statement:
16 U.S.C. 1a-7 authorizes collection of this information. This information will be used
by park managers to better serve the public. Response to this request is voluntary.
No action may be taken against you for refusing to supply the information requested.
Your name is requested for follow-up mailing purposes only. When analysis of the
questionnaire is completed, all name and address files will be destroyed. Thus the
permanent data will be anonymous. Please do not put your name or that of any
member of your personal group on the questionnaire. An agency may not conduct or
sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless
it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
Burden estimate statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to
average 20 minutes per response. Direct comments regarding the burden estimate or
any other aspect of this form to Margaret Littlejohn, NPS Visitor Services Project,
College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho, P.O. Box 441139, Moscow, ID,
83844-1139; email: [email protected].
4
Fossil Butte National Monument Visitor Study
Your Visit To Fossil Butte National Monument
NOTE: In this questionnaire “personal group” is defined as anyone that you are visiting the
park with, such as spouse, family, friends, etc. This does not include the larger group
that you might be traveling with, such as school, church, scouts, or tour group.
1.
a) Prior to your visit, how did you and your personal group obtain information about
Fossil Butte National Monument? Please mark ( ) all that apply in column (a).
•
b) If you were to visit Fossil Butte National Monument in the future, how would you
and your personal group prefer to obtain information about the park? Please mark
( ) all that apply in column (b).
a) Prior to this visit
b) Prior to future visits
•
O
Did not obtain information prior to visit Î Go to part b of this question
O
Chamber of commerce/visitors bureau/state welcome center
O
O
Inquiry to park via phone, mail, or email
O
O
Fossil Butte National Monument website: www.nps.gov/fobu
O
O
Other websites
O
O
Friends/relatives/word of mouth
O
O
Maps/brochures
O
O
Newspaper/magazine articles
O
O
Previous visits
O
O
School class/program
O
O
Signs on highway
O
O
Social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
O
O
Television/radio programs/videos
O
O
Travel guides/tour books (such as AAA, etc.)
O
O
Other (Please specify below)
O
Prior to future visits
Prior to this visit
c) From the sources marked in column (a), did you and your personal group receive
the type of information about the park that you needed?
O
No
O
Yes Î Go to Question 2
Note to OMB: all long list (14 answer) questions will be reversed in ½ of the questionnaires
Fossil Butte National Monument Visitor Study
5
d) If NO, what type of park information did you and your personal group need that
was not available? Please be specific.
2.
3.
On this trip, what was the primary reason that you and your personal group came
to the Fossil Butte National Monument area? Please mark ( ) one.
•
O
Resident of the area (within 30 miles of the park) Î Go to Question 3
O
Business
O
Traveling through - unplanned visit
O
Visit Fossil Butte National Monument
O
Visit friends/relatives in the area
O
Visit other attractions in the area
O
Other (Please specify)
a) In which communities did you and your personal group obtain support services
(e.g. information, gas, food, lodging) for this visit to Fossil Butte National
Monument? Please mark ( ) all that apply.
•
O
None Î Go Question 4
O
Kemmerer/
Diamondville, WY
O
Rock Springs/
Green River, WY
O
Salt Lake City, UT
O
Evanston, WY
O
Jackson, WY
O
Montpelier, ID
O
Vernal, UT
O
Other (Please specify)
b) Were you and your personal group able to obtain all of the services that you
needed in these communities?
O
No
O
Yes Î Go to Question 4
c) If NO, what needed services were not available?
Service (List)
Comments (Please be specific)
6
Fossil Butte National Monument Visitor Study
4.
On this trip, where did you and your personal group stay on the night before and
the night after visiting Fossil Butte National Monument? If you stayed at home,
please write the name of the town/city and state where you live.
a) BEFORE visit: Town/city
State
b) AFTER visit:
State
Town/city
5. a) On this trip, did you and your personal group stay overnight away from your
permanent residence in the surrounding area of Fossil Butte National Monument
(within 30 miles of the park)?
O
Yes
O
No Î Go to Question 6
b) If YES, please list the number of nights you and your personal group stayed in
the surrounding area of Fossil Butte National Monument.
Number of nights in the surrounding area outside the park
c) In which types of lodging did you and your personal group spend the night(s)
outside park in surrounding area (within 30 miles of the park)? Please mark ( )
all that apply.
•
6.
O
Lodges, motels, vacation rentals, B&B, etc.
O
RV/trailer camping
O
Tent camping in developed campground
O
Backcountry camping
O
Seasonal residence
O
Residence of friends or relatives
O
Other (Please specify)
On this visit, which forms of transportation did you and your group use to travel
between your overnight accommodations or home and Fossil Butte National
Monument? Please mark ( ) all that apply.
•
O
Private vehicle (car, SUV, pickup, van, etc.)
O
On foot
O
RV (rented or owned)
O
School bus
O
Rental vehicle (other than RV)
O
Tour bus
O
Bicycle
O
Motorcycle
O
Other (Please specify)
Fossil Butte National Monument Visitor Study
7
c) On this visit, how many vehicles did you and your personal group use to arrive
at the park? Please write 0 if you did not arrive by vehicle.
Number of vehicles
7.
a) On this visit, how many hours in total did you and your personal group spend
visiting Fossil Butte National Monument?
Total number of hours (Please list partial hours as 1/4, 1/2, or 3/4.)
b) On this trip, how many times did you and your personal group enter the park?
Number entries
8.
9.
On this visit to Fossil Butte National Monument, what park sites did you and your
personal group visit? Please mark ( ) all that apply.
•
O
Visitor center
O
Hiking trails
O
Historic Quarry
O
7.5 mile scenic drive
O
Hike/bike
Administrative roads
O
Chicken Creek
Picnic Area
O
Other (Please specify)
a) What did you and your personal group like most about your visit to Fossil Butte
National Monument?
b) What did you and your personal group like least about your visit to Fossil Butte
National Monument?
8
Fossil Butte National Monument Visitor Study
10. a) On this visit, in which activities did you and your personal group participate within
Fossil Butte National Monument? Please mark ( ) all that apply in column (a).
•
b) If you were to visit the park in the future, in which activities would you and your
personal group prefer to participate? Please mark ( ) all that apply in column (b).
•
a) Activities on this visit
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
b) Activities on future visit
Attending ranger-led talks/programs
Creative arts (photography/drawing/painting/writing)
Mountain biking
Fossil preparation demonstrations
General sightseeing/7.5 mile scenic drive
Interactive electronic ranger computer program
Nature study (birdwatching, wildlife viewing, stargazing)
Roving rangers available to answer questions
Participating in Junior Ranger program
Participating in Senior Ranger program
Picnicking
Viewing video programs
Viewing visitor center exhibits
Visiting visitor center
Walking/hiking
Other (Please specify below)
This visit:
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
Future visit:
c) Which one of the above activities was most important to you and your personal
group on this visit to Fossil Butte National Monument? Please list one response.
11. a) On this visit to Fossil Butte National Monument, did anyone in your personal group
participate in any of the ranger-led talks/programs?
O
No
O
Yes Î Go to Question 12
Fossil Butte National Monument Visitor Study
9
b) If NO, what prevented you and your personal group from participating in rangerled talks/programs? Please mark ( ) all that apply.
•
O
Not interested in ranger-led talks/programs
O
Did not have time for this activity
O
Not aware of any ranger-led talks/programs offered at the park
O
Programs not offered when we were there
O
Other (Please specify)
12. Fossil Butte National Monument was established because of its significance to the
nation. In your opinion, what is the national significance of the park?
13. a) Fossil Butte National Monument exhibits and ranger-led programs discuss topics
related to geology and fossils. Please mark ( ) all the topics you learned on this
visit.
•
O
Did not learn about any topics on this visit Î Go to part c of this question
b) Please indicate how much your level of understanding of each topic improved
during your visit. Please mark ( ) one answer for each topic.
•
•
c) Next, mark ( ) the topics you would be interested in learning more about on a
future visit.
a) Learned on
this visit?
b) Level of understanding improved?
Not at all A little Somewhat
A lot
c) Interested
on future visit?
Yes
No
O
How fossils form
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
Reasons that wide variety
of fossils are found in park
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
Reasons fossils are found
near tops of ridges
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
Reasons fossils are so
abundant in park
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
Reasons fossils are so
well preserved in park
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
How rocks containing
fossils were formed
O
O
O
O
O
O
10
Fossil Butte National Monument Visitor Study
d) Please list any additional topics you and your personal group are interested in
learning about Fossil Butte National Monument.
14. If you were to visit Fossil Butte National Monument in the future, which of the
following additional facilities would you like to have available? Please mark ( ) all
that apply.
•
O
Additional hiking trails
O
Horseback riding trails
O
Mountain biking trails
O
Nearby camping facilities
O
Expanded visitor center
O
Handicapped accessible trail
O
Other (Please specify)
15. a) If you were to visit Fossil Butte National Monument in the future, how would you
and your personal group prefer to learn about cultural and natural history/
features of the park? Please mark ( ) all that apply.
•
O
Not interested in learning about the park Î Go to Question 16
O
Junior Ranger program
O
Indoor exhibits
O
Other children’s programs
O
Outdoor exhibits
O
Senior Ranger program
O
Self-guided tours
O
Ranger-led interpretive programs
O
Nature camp
O
Volunteer opportunities (in park)
O
Audiovisual programs (DVD, video, or audio)
O
Electronic media/devices available to visitors (downloadable digital files,
podcasts, interactive computer programs/tours, etc.)
O
Printed materials (brochures, books, maps, etc.)
O
Park website: www.nps.gov/fobu
O
Other (Please specify)
b) What length of ranger-led program would you and your personal group like to
attend?
O
Under 1/2 hour
O
O
Other (Please specify)
1/2 - 1 hour
O
1 - 2 hours
Fossil Butte National Monument Visitor Study
11
16. a) In your opinion, are campgrounds needed near Fossil Butte National Monument?
O
No
O
Yes
b) If campgrounds were provided, would you and your personal group be likely to
use them on a future visit?
O
Yes, likely
O
O
No, unlikely
Not sure
17. a) Would you or members of your personal group consider visiting Fossil Butte
National Monument again in the future?
O
Yes
O No
O Not sure
b) Would you or members of your personal group recommend visiting Fossil Butte
National Monument to your friends/relatives?
O
Yes
O
O
No
Not sure
18. It is the National Park Service’s responsibility to protect Fossil Butte National
Monument natural, scenic, and cultural resources while at the same time providing
for public enjoyment. How important is protection of the following resources/
attributes in the park to you and your personal group? Please mark ( ) one answer
for each resource/attribute.
•
Resource/attribute
Not
important
Somewhat
important
Moderately
important
Very
important
Extremely
important
Clean air (visibility)
O
O
O
O
O
Clean water
O
O
O
O
O
Dark, starry night sky
O
O
O
O
O
Educational programs/
opportunities
O
O
O
O
O
Fossils
O
O
O
O
O
Native plants
O
O
O
O
O
Native wildlife
O
O
O
O
O
Repair/maintenance of
facilities/roads/trails
O
O
O
O
O
Natural quiet/sounds of nature
O
O
O
O
O
Recreational opportunities
O
O
O
O
O
Scenic views
O
O
O
O
O
Opportunities for solitude
O
O
O
O
O
12
Fossil Butte National Monument Visitor Study
•
19. a) Please mark ( ) all the visitor services and facilities that you or your
personal group used at Fossil Butte National Monument during this visit.
b) Next, for only those services and facilities that you or your personal group used,
please rate their importance to your visit from 1-5.
c) Finally, for only those services and facilities that you or your personal group
used, please rate their quality from 1-5.
a) Visitor services and facilities used
Mark ( )
•
b) If used,
how important?
1=Not important
2=Somewhat important
3=Moderately important
4=Very important
5=Extremely important
O
Bookstore sales items
(selection, price, etc.)
O
Assistance from park staff
O
Directional signs inside the park
O
Junior Ranger program
O
Senior Ranger program
O
Picnic area
O
Park brochure/map
O
Picnic table at Historic Quarry parking area
O
Ranger-led programs
O
Restrooms
O
Roadside exhibits
O
Trails
O
Trailside exhibits
O
Videos/films
O
Visitor center exhibits
O
Park website: www.nps.gov/fobu
Used before or during visit
c) If used,
what quality?
1=Very poor
2=Poor
3=Average
4=Good
5=Very good
Fossil Butte National Monument Visitor Study
d) If you used the park website www.nps.gov/fobu, what type of information
did you and your personal group need that was not available on the park
website? Please be specific.
O
13
Did not use park website
20. For you and your personal group, please estimate all expenditures for the items
listed below for this visit to Fossil Butte National Monument and the surrounding
area (within 30 miles of the park). Please write "0" if no money was spent in a
particular category.
a) Please list your group's total expenditures in Fossil Butte National Monument.
b) Please list your group's total expenditures in the surrounding area outside the
park (within 30 miles of the park).
NOTE: Surrounding area residents should only include expenditures that were
just for this trip to Fossil Butte National Monument.
EXPENDITURES
a) Inside park
b) Outside park
Lodges, hotels, motels, cabins, B&B, etc.
N/A
$
Camping fees and charges
N/A
$
Guide fees and charges
N/A
$
Restaurants and bars
N/A
$
Groceries and takeout food
N/A
$
Gas and oil (auto, RV, boat, etc.)
N/A
$
Other transportation expenses
(rental cars, taxis, auto repairs, but
NOT airfare)
N/A
$
Admission, recreation, entertainment fees
N/A
$
All other purchases (souvenirs, film, books,
sporting goods, clothing, etc.)
$
$
Donations
$
$
c) How many people do the above expenses cover?
Adults (18 years or over)
Children (under 18 years)
Please write 0 if no children were
covered by the expenditures.
14
Fossil Butte National Monument Visitor Study
21. a) Does anyone in your personal group have a physical condition that made it
difficult to access or participate in park activities or services?
O
O
Yes
No Î Go on to Question 22
b) If YES, what services or activities were difficult to access/participate in?
c) Because of the physical condition, what specific problems did the person(s)
have? Please mark ( ) all that apply.
•
O
Hearing (difficulty hearing ranger programs, bus drivers, audio-visual
exhibits or programs, or information desk staff, even with hearing aid)
O
Visual (difficulty seeing exhibits, directional signs, or visual aids that are
part of programs, even with prescribed glasses or due to blindness)
O
Mobility (difficulty accessing facilities, services, or programs, even with
walking aid and/or wheelchair)
O
Other (Please specify)
22. On this visit, were you and your personal group part of the following types of
organized groups? Please mark ( ) one for each.
•
a) Commercial guided tour group
O
Yes
O
No
b) School/educational group
O
O
Yes
O
O
No
c) Other organized group
(scouts, work, church, etc.)
Yes
No
d) If you were with one of these organized groups, about how many people,
including yourself, were in this group?
Number of people in organized group
23. a) On this visit, with what kind of personal group (not guided tour/school/other
organized group) were you? Please mark ( ) one.
•
O
Alone
O
Friends
O
O
Family
O
Family and friends
Other (Please specify)
b) On this visit, how many people were in your personal group, including
yourself?
Number of people in personal group
Fossil Butte National Monument Visitor Study
15
24. For you and your personal group on this visit, please provide the following. If you
do not know the answer, leave blank.
a) Current
age
b) U.S. ZIP code or
name of country
other than U.S.
Frequency of visits to
Fossil Butte National
Monument
(including this visit)
c) In past 5
d) Lifetime
years
to date
Yourself
Member #2
Member #3
Member #4
Member #5
Member #6
Member #7
25. If you were a manager planning for the future of Fossil Butte National Monument
what would you and your personal group propose? Please be specific.
26. Is there anything else you and your personal group would like to tell us about your
visit to Fossil Butte National Monument?
27. Overall, how would you rate the quality of the facilities, services, and recreational
opportunities provided to you and your personal group at Fossil Butte National
Monument during this visit? Please mark ( ) one.
•
Very poor
O
Poor
O
Average
O
Good
O
Very good
O
Thank you for your help! Please seal the questionnaire with the stickers provided and
drop it in any U.S. mailbox.
Printed on recycled paper
Visitor Services Project
Park Studies Unit
College of Natural Resources
University of Idaho
P.O. Box 441139
Moscow, Idaho 83844-1139
OFFICIAL BUSINESS
| File Type | application/pdf |
| File Title | DETO Q |
| Author | Gary Machlis |
| File Modified | 2010-07-19 |
| File Created | 2010-07-17 |