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POOL OF KNOWN QUESTIONS
TOPIC AREA 1: RESPONDENTS’ CHARACTERISTICS AND KNOWLEDGE ............................................................................. 2
AGE (AGE) ................................................................................................................................................................... 2
EDUCATION (ED) ......................................................................................................................................................... 2
GENDER (GEND) .......................................................................................................................................................... 2
GROUP CHARACTERISTICS (GR) ................................................................................................................................... 3
KNOWLEDGE (KNOW) ................................................................................................................................................. 4
KNOWLEDGE/Leave-No-Trace (LNT) ............................................................................................................................ 6
LANGUAGE (LANG) ...................................................................................................................................................... 7
PARTNER (PART) ......................................................................................................................................................... 8
RACE/ETHNICITY (RACE/ETH) ...................................................................................................................................... 8
RESIDENCE (RES) ......................................................................................................................................................... 9
VISITATION HISTORY (VISITHIS) ................................................................................................................................... 9
TOPIC AREA 2 - TRIP PLANNING .................................................................................................................................... 11
TOPIC AREA 3 - TRIP BEHAVIORS ................................................................................................................................... 14
ACTIVITIES (ACT) ....................................................................................................................................................... 14
FUTURE VISIT (FVIS) .................................................................................................................................................. 20
ITINERARY (ITIN) ....................................................................................................................................................... 23
LEARNING (LEARN) .................................................................................................................................................... 24
TRAILS AND BACKCOUNTRY USE (TBACK) .................................................................................................................. 26
TRANSPORTATION (TRANS)....................................................................................................................................... 28
TRIP CHARACTERISTICS (TRIPC) ................................................................................................................................. 31
TOPIC AREA 4: PREFERENCES/MOTIVES/ATTITUDES ..................................................................................................... 39
PLACE ATTACHMENT (PA) ......................................................................................................................................... 39
RECREATION PREFERENCES (PREF) ............................................................................................................................ 40
SOUNDSCAPE PERCEPTIONS (SOUND) ....................................................................................................................... 42
THEORY OF PLANNED BEHAVIOR QUESTIONS (TpB) .................................................................................................. 45
TOPIC AREA 5 - CROWDING AND VISITOR EXPERIENCES ............................................................................................... 48
CROWDING PERCEPTIONS (CROWD) ......................................................................................................................... 48
CROWDING ATTITUDES (CRWDATT) .......................................................................................................................... 51
VISITOR EXPERIENCE AND RESOURCE PROTECTION (VERP) ....................................................................................... 57
TOPIC AREA 6 - EVALUATIONS/OPINIONS OF SERVICES, FACILITIES, AND MANAGEMENT ............................................ 60
EVALUATION OF FEES (EVALFEE) ............................................................................................................................... 60
EVALUATION OF SERVICES/RESOURCES (EVALSERV) ................................................................................................. 61
EVALUATION OF TRANSPORTATION (EVALTRAN) ...................................................................................................... 69
OPINIONS ON PARK MANAGEMENT (OPMGMT) ....................................................................................................... 70
TRUST IN THE NPS (TRUST) ........................................................................................................................................ 73
TOPIC AREA 7 – ECONOMIC IMPACT AND BENEFIT ANALYSIS ....................................................................................... 75
ECONOMIC IMPACT AND BENEFIT (ECON) ................................................................................................................. 75
1
TOPIC AREA 1: RESPONDENTS’ CHARACTERISTICS AND KNOWLEDGE
The questions in this section will be used characterize the population of respondents participating in each
sample. Individual characteristics collected will be attributes of individual park visitors or visitor groups, potential
visitors or groups, and residents of communities near parks. Individual characteristics collected will be relevant
and limited to the mission, management, and/or operations of National Park System units. The scope of the
information will be limited to those that are germane to the topic being studied and relevant to the park and its
management. This information will be used to check the representativeness of each sample against the
population. Variables such as age, education, and knowledge are often good predictors of demand and visitation
behavior.
AGE (AGE)
AGE1: For you and your personal group on this visit, please provide the following. (If you do not know the
answer, please leave blank).
Current
Age
U.S. Zip Code or name of
country other than U.S.
Yourself
Member #2
Member #3
Member #4
Member #5
Member #6
Member #7
Number of visits made to [NPS site]
(including this visit)
past [n] months
lifetime
AGE2: In what year were you born? _______
AGE3: What is your age? _________
EDUCATION (ED)
ED1: Please indicate the highest level of education you have completed. Please mark (•) only one.
O Some high school
O Bachelor’s degree
O High school diploma/GED
O Graduate degree
O Some college
ED2: What is the highest level of formal education you have completed? Please mark (•) only one.
O Less than high school
O Some high school
O High school graduate
O Vocational/trade school certificate
O Some college
O Two-year college degree
O Four-year college degree
O Masters Degree
O Ph.D., M.D., J.D., or equivalent
GENDER (GEND)
GEND1: What is your gender? Please mark (•) one.
O Male
O
Female
2
GROUP CHARACTERISTICS (GR)
GR1: On this visit, what kind of personal group (not guided tour/school group) were you with? Please mark (•)
only one.
O
Alone
O
Family
O
Friends
O
Family and friends
O
Other (Please specify)
____________________________
GR2: On this visit, were you and your personal group with the following type of organized groups?
Commercial guided tour group
School/educational group
Other organized group (such as business group, scout group, etc.)
O Yes
O Yes
O Yes
O No
O No
O No
GR3: How many people were in your [personal, organized, tour] group, including you?
____ Number of people
GR4: 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
b. If YES, on this visit what activities or services did the person(s) have difficulty accessing or participating
in?
(Please describe) ______________________________________________________________
c. Because of the physical condition, which specific difficulties 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 in seeing exhibits, directional signs, visual aids that are part of programs
even with prescribed glasses or due to blindness)
O
Mobility (difficult in accessing facilities, services, or programs even with walking aid and/or
wheelchairs)
O
Other (Please specify)
GR5: Are you traveling with a pet today?
O No
O Yes (Specify pet type(s) ______________________
3
KNOWLEDGE (KNOW)
KNOW1: Prior to this visit, were you and your personal group aware of [NPS site]?
O Yes
O No
O Not sure
KNOW2: Prior to this visit, were you and your personal group aware that [NPS site] is managed by the National
Park Service (NPS)?
O Yes
O No
O Not sure
KNOW3: The National Park Service manages [NPS site]. [Other land management agency] manages land [near
(e.g. east, south, etc)] of the [NPS site]. Prior to this visit, were you aware that two different organizations
administer these sites? Please mark (•) only one.
O Yes, aware sites were managed by two different organizations
O No, thought both sites were managed by the National Park Service
O No, thought both sites were managed by [other management agency]
O Didn’t know who managed either site
KNOW4: Prior to this visit, were you and your personal group aware that you would be visiting [NPS site], an
area managed by the National Park Service?
O Yes
O No
O Not sure
KNOW5: Prior to this visit to [NPS site], were you and your personal group aware of the difference between a
national park area and a national forest? Please mark (•) only one.
O Yes
O No
O Not sure
KNOW6: Prior to this visit, did you and your personal group know who [important person of NPS site] was?
O Yes
O No
O Not sure
KNOW7: Prior to this visit, were you and your personal group aware of [important area in NPS site]?
O Yes
O No
O Not sure
KNOW8: Prior to this visit, were you and your personal group familiar with [NPS site] rules and regulations?
O Yes
O No
O Not sure
This is a new question. This information allows park managers to develop the content of informational
media to best meet visitors’ informational needs about park issues, activities, sites, services, programs.
KNOW9: Prior to your visit, were you and members of your personal group aware of [specific issues, activities,
sites, services, programs, etc.] at [NPS site]?
O Not aware
O Somewhat aware
O Very aware
4
KNOW10: Prior to this visit, were you and your personal group aware of the following nearby National Park
Service sites?
a) If you were aware of these sites prior to this visit, please mark (•) all sites you were aware of in
column a.
b) If you were not previously aware of these sites, how did you and personal your group find out
about them on this visit? Please mark (•) all that apply in column b.
c) Have you and/or your personal group members ever visited these sites? Please mark (•) all that
apply in column c.
a) Prior to visit, aware of site?
O
b) Find out on this visit?
c) Ever visited site?
O
O
[area-specific list of nearby sites]
This is a new question. The information helps determine the effect of resource management policy on visitors’
experience and enjoyment of the resource. It provides important feedback for park managers implementing fire
management policies.
KNOW11:
a) In some units of the National Park System, the National Park Service follows a prescribed burn policy. This
policy involves using mechanical reduction of fuels as well as setting fires under specific weather and fire
conditions to reduce the buildup of undergrowth and help prevent catastrophic fires. Prior to this visit to [NPS
site], were you aware of this burn policy?
O Yes
O No
b) If you and your personal group were to visit [NPS site] in the future, would you be willing to tolerate
temporarily blackened landscapes resulting from prescribed burns?
O Yes, likely
O No, unlikely
O
Not sure
c) if you and your personal group were to visit [NPS site] in the future, would you be willing to tolerate short
periods (up to 2 days) of occasional smoke or reduced visibility caused by prescribed burns?
O Yes, likely
O No, unlikely
O
Not sure
This is a new question. This information will be used by park managers to determine the communication efforts
needed regarding non-native and evasive species control/monitoring to the public.
KNOW12: The National Park Service has a policy to control or remove non-native plants and animals from within
park boundaries. Non-native species occupy an area that is not part of their natural, historic range, and often
originated from another continent or region. Many of these species are invasive and damage park resources.
Were you aware of this policy prior to your visit to [NPS site]?
O Yes
O No
KNOW13: How familiar are you with the purposes and characteristics of federally designated Wilderness areas?
Please mark (•) only one.
O
O
O
O
O
Not at all familiar
Slightly familiar
Moderately familiar
Very familiar
Extremely familiar
5
KNOW14: Over X% of the [NPS site] is designated wilderness area. Prior to this visit to the park, were you aware
of this fact?
O Yes
O No
O
Not sure
KNOW15: Prior to this visit, were you aware of the following values of a wilderness area? Please mark (•) in
column b or leave blank if you were not aware of the value.
c) If you were aware of values of a wilderness prior to this visit, please mark (•) all sites you were
aware of in column b
d) Did you learn about the values of a wilderness during this visit to [NPS site]? Please mark (•) in
column c or leave blank if you did not learn.
e) On a future visit, would you like to learn about the values of a wilderness? Please mark (•) in
column d or leave blank if you are not interested in learning.
Values of a wilderness area
[area-specific list of wilderness values (e.g.
untouched/undeveloped landscape,
opportunity for solitude, protection of
unpolluted watershed, etc.)]
Other value of wilderness (Specify:
_____________________________)
b) Aware before
my visit)
c) Learned on d) Would like to
this visit
learn more
O
O
O
O
O
O
KNOWLEDGE/Leave-No-Trace (LNT)
LNT1: Food scraps from meals/cooking should be… Please mark (•) only one.
O
O
O
O
O
Disposed of in available trash cans
Buried at least 6 inches below ground
Packed out
Placed in backcountry toilets
Don’t know
LNT2: Have you ever participated in an official low-impact practices training or workshop (e.g., Leave No Trace
training)? Please mark (•) only one.
O Yes
O No
LNT3: How would you describe your current knowledge of low-impact practices in backcountry settings? Please
mark (•) only one.
O Novice
O Intermediate
O Expert
LNT4: It is okay to walk off of the marked/signed trails to enjoy plants up-close, as long as you stay in places
where others have already walked. Please mark (•) only one.
O True
O False
O Don’t know
6
LNT5: What should you do when you see wildlife approaching your campsite? Please mark (•) only one.
O
O
O
O
O
Put food on the ground to feed the animal
Make noise to scare the animal away
Be quiet and try not to startle the animal
Quietly approach the animal to get a better view
Don’t know
LNT6: When disposing of human waste in backcountry areas where toilets are not available, it is best too...
Please mark (•) only one.
O Leave all waste above ground
O Bury all waste
O Bury excretions, pack out toilet paper
O Pack out all human waste
O Don’t know
LANGUAGE (LANG)
LANG1: a) When visiting an area such as [NPS site], what languages do you and most members of your personal
group prefer to use for the following?
Speaking
O
English
O Other (Specify)
Reading
O
English
O Other (Specify)
b) In your opinion, what services in the park need to be provided in languages other than English? Please specify
a service or mark (•) none
O None
O Other (Specify) ______________________
LANG2: What language (if any other than English) is frequently spoken in your home?
O English only
Language (other than English): _______________
LANG3: Which one language do you and members of your personal group primarily use to communicate with
each other?
O English
O Other (Specify)
This is a new question. This information helps park managers determine the need to develop interpretive
programs and printed materials/signage in other languages.
LANG4: a) Would you or any member of your personal group prefer to receive information about [NPS site,
programs, services, etc.] in languages other than English?
O Yes
O No
b) If YES, which language(s)?
7
PARTNER (PART)
PART1: a) Are you or any members of your personal group a member of the [friends group]?
O
Yes
O No
b) If NO, would you be interested in joining or supporting the [friends group]?
O Yes, likely
O No, unlikely
c) If NO, why not? ______________________________________________
PART2: [Name of partner/friends group] is a friends group that supports [NPS site] through educational
programs, awareness, and funding. Prior to this visit, were you and your personal group aware of the [friends
group]?
O Yes
O No
PART3: Prior to your visit, had you and your personal group ever heard of the following groups? Please mark (•)
only one.
[NPS site affiliate/partner group]
O
Yes
O
No
RACE/ETHNICITY (RACE/ETH)
RACE/ETH 1: Are you or members of your personal group Hispanic or Latino? Please mark (•) for you and each
group member.
Yourself
Hispanic or Latino?
O
Member
#2
O
Not Hispanic or Latino
O
O
Member
#3
O
Member
#4
O
Member
#5
O
Member
#6
O
Member
#7
O
O
O
O
O
O
RACE/ETH2: For you only, are you Hispanic or Latino?
O Yes
O No
RACE/ETH3: 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
Asian
O
O
Member
#2
O
O
Member
#3
O
O
Member
#4
O
O
Member
#5
O
O
Member
#6
O
O
Member
#7
O
O
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific
Islander
White
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
RACE/ETH4: What is your race? Please mark (•) one or more.
O American Indian or Alaska Native
O Asian
O Black or African American
O White
O Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
8
RACE/ETH5: Which of these categories best indicates your race? Answer only for yourself. Please check (•) one
or more.
O American Indian or Alaska Native
O Asian
O Black or African American
O White
O Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
RESIDENCE (RES)
RES1: Where do you live?
City ________________ State_____ ZIP ______
Country (if not US) _______________________
RES2: Are you a permanent resident or citizen of the U.S.?
O No ― What is your country of origin? ______________________________
O Yes ― What is your zip code and state of residence?
Zip Code _______________________________
State _______________________________
RES3: Do you live in the United States?
O Yes (What is your Zip Code? __________)
O No (What country do you live in? __________________________)
RES4: How long have you lived in the community where you now live? _______ years
RES5: For you and your personal group on this visit, please provide the following information. (If you do not
know the answer, leave blank.)
Yourself
Member #2
Member #3
Member #4
Member #5
Member #6
Member #7
U.S. Zip Code
or name of country other than U.S.
VISITATION HISTORY (VISITHIS)
VISITHIS1: Have you visited [NPS site] before today?
O Yes
O No
If YES, approximately how many times have you visited [during specific time period]?
Number of prior visits: __________
VISITHIS2: a) Have you visited [specific location within the park] before today?
O Yes
O No
b) If YES, about how many times have you visited [specific location within the park], including this visit?
______ Number of visits
OR
O Don’t know/Not sure
9
VISITHIS3: How many times have you visited [NPS site] in the last [x] months?
___________ (Including today)
VISITHIS4: How many years have you been visiting [NPS site]?
______ years
OR
O This is my first visit
VISITHIS5: For you and your personal group on this visit, please tell us the number and frequency of visits you’ve
made to this site in the past year. (If you do not know the answer, please leave blank). (Note: number of visits
and frequency of visit scale will vary)
Number of visits or Frequency of visits made to [NPS site]
First Visit
Less than 1
time/year
Yourself
Member #2
Member #3
Member #4
Member #5
Member #6
Member #7
Number times in the past [n] months
1-11
12-50
51-360
Daily
times
times
times
lifetime
This is a new question. This information will help park managers understand about visitation use patterns. This
will also allow programs and services to be scheduled or revamped to meet visitors’ needs throughout the year
and across different time periods.
VISITHIS6: Please mark (•) all [the seasons/days of week/times of day] that you and your group have visited
[NPS site].
(Response for season)
Winter
O
Spring
O
Summer
O
(Response for day of week)
Weekdays
Weekends
O
O
Fall
O
Both weekdays and weekends
O
(Response for time of day)
Mornings
(sunrise to 10 a.m.)
O
Mid-day
(10 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
O
Late afternoon
(2 p.m. to 6 p.m.)
O
Evenings
(6 p.m. to sunset)
O
Night (sunset
to sunrise)
O
10
TOPIC AREA 2 - TRIP PLANNING
The section on Trip Planning includes aspects of travel which affect a trip or decisions which individuals make
prior to, during, or following their trips to parks, related areas, and nearby communities. Trip characteristics will
be relevant to the mission, management, and/or operations of National Park System units that are included in
the scope of this topic area. The scope of the information collected will be limited to those that are germane to
the topic being studied and relevant to the park and its management.
TPLAN1: Prior to this visit, how did you and your personal group obtain information about [NPS site]? Please
mark (•) all that apply in column a.
b) If you were to visit [NPS site] in the future, which sources would you and your personal group prefer to
use to obtain information in planning your visit? Please mark (•) all that apply in column b.
How did you and your personal group obtain information
about [NPS site]?
a) Prior to
this visit?
O
O
O
Obtained no information prior to visit
Live in local area
[area-specific list of options (e.g. web site, friends/family, school
program, television show, other NPS sites, etc)]
Other (Please specify)
O
b) On a
future visit?
O
O
O
O
TPLAN2: From the sources marked above, did you and your personal group receive the type of information
about the park that you needed?
O Yes
O No
O
Not sure
TPLAN3: If NO, what was the information you and your personal group needed that was not available? Please be
specific. ______________________________
TPLAN4: Where do you prefer to get your National Park trip planning information?
O
[list of options (e.g. web site, friends/family, television, NPS web site,
other web sites, etc)]
O
Other (Please specify)
TPLAN5: How did this visit to [NPS site] fit into your personal groups travel plans? Please mark (•) only one.
O [NPS site] was primary destination
O [NPS site] was one of several destinations
O [NPS site] was not a planned destination
This is a new question. This information helps the park determine visitor use of the park website and obtain
visitor opinions on its current quality. Park managers will use this this information to improve the quality,
content, and usefulness of the park website.
TPLAN 6: a) Did you and your personal group obtain information from the park website prior to or during this
visit to plan your trip to [NPS Site]?
O Yes
O No
11
b) How would you rate the quality of information provided on the park website to plan your visit? Please mark
(•) one.
Very poor
O
Poor
O
Average
O
Good
O
Very good
O
c) Did you and your personal group find the information that you needed on the park website?
O Yes
O No
d) If you and your personal group did not use the park website, why not? ______________
e) What type of information was most valuable to you and your personal group? __________
TPLAN7: If you and your personal group used the park website (www.nps.gov/[site]/) prior to or during this visit,
please rate how helpful the website was in planning your visit. Please mark (•) only one.
O Did not use website
Not at all
helpful
O
Slightly
helpful
O
Moderately
helpful
O
Very
helpful
O
Extremely
helpful
O
TPLAN8: Do you and your personal group have any suggestions to improve the park website? Please be specific.
_________________________________________________________
TPLAN 9: How much time did you and your personal group plan to spend in the park?
O
No planned amount of time
Hours OR
Minutes
TPLAN 10: Prior to your visit, who in your personal group made the decision to visit [NPS site]? Please mark (•) all
that apply.
O [list of personal group members (e.g. head of household) and other individuals (such as tour guide,
etc).]
TPLAN11: What determined when you left [NPS site]? Please mark (•) all that apply.
O
[area-specific list of factors (such as on a fixed tour schedule, bad weather conditions, lack of
things to do/see, etc)]
O
Other (Please specify)
___
TPLAN12: When did you and your personal group make the decision to visit [NPS site]? Please mark (•) only 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
TPLAN13: Why did you and your personal group choose to visit [NPS site] when you did?
__________________________________________________________
12
TPLAN14: Which factors affected you and your personal group’s decision to visit [NPS site] on the day that you
visited? Please mark (•) all that apply.
O
[area-specific list of factors]
O
Other (Please specify)
TPLAN15: In deciding to visit this national park, please indicate (on a scale of 1-5) the extent to which the
following factors influenced your decision. (Circle the number of your choice.)
Not at all
Slightly
Somewhat
Very
influential influential Influential influential
1
2
3
4
[area-specific list of factors (e.g. activity
participation, historical or culture
elements, to visit an NPS site, etc.)]
Extremely
influential
5
TPLAN16: From the list above, which is the most important reason for you to visit this national park?
________________________________________________
TPLAN17: In preparing for this visit to [NPS site], what safety measures (such as wearing sunscreen, bringing
drinking water, wearing proper footwear, etc.) did you and your personal group take? Please be specific.
O
None
TPLAN18: On this visit, did you and your personal group feel prepared for common safety situations (such as
exposure to sun, heat, access to drinking water, flash floods, lack of proper footwear, etc.) that you encountered
in the park?
O Yes
O No
TPLAN19: Prior to this visit, how did you and your personal group obtain information about safety measures?
O
O
O
Did not obtain any safety information
[area-specific list of information options]
Other (Please specify)
TPLAN20: a) Prior to this visit, were you and your personal group aware of the tour reservations system at [NPS
site]?
O Yes
O No
b) If YES, did you and your personal group make tour reservations prior to your visit?
c) If NO, how did you and your personal group learn about the tours?
__________________________________________________________________
TPLAN21: If you responded YES to the question above, did you get the tour reservation by calling the toll-free
telephone number or by going online to the National Park Service reservation website?
O Calling phone number
O Online
O Not sure
13
TOPIC AREA 3 - TRIP BEHAVIORS
Individuals participate in many activities during their visits to parks, related areas and nearby communities. The
questions in this section will be used to identify individual activities, behaviors, or uses of natural and cultural
resources which are relevant to the mission, management, and/or operations of National Park System units
Understanding the current and future uses and purposes of park visitors will be helpful to managers when
considering updating park management plans and educational efforts.
ACTIVITIES (ACT)
ACT1: This question lists activities available to visitors at [NPS site].
a) On past visits, in which activities did you and your personal group participate? Please mark (•) all that
apply in column a. If you did not participate in an activity in the past, please leave this column blank.
b) As you were planning your trip, which activities did you and your personal group expect to include on
this visit? Please mark (•) all that apply in column b.
c) On this visit, in which activities did you and your personal group participate? Please mark (•) all that
apply in column c.
d) If you were to visit in the future, in which activities did you and your personal group participate? Please
mark (•) all that apply in column d.
A
B
C
D
Activities on
past visits
Activities
expected
Activities on
this visit
Activities on
future visit
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
area-specific list of activities
e) On this visit, which one activity in column c that you and your personal group participated in was the most
important to your visit to this park? Please list only one or mark none.
______________________________________________________________________________________
O None
ACT2: Which one of the above activities in which you or your personal group participated was your primary
reason for visiting [NPS site]? Please list only one.
ACT3: On this visit to [NPS site], in which activities did you and/or your personal group participate?
Please mark (•) all that apply in the column a.
For visits to [NPS site] during the past 12 months, please list the number of times you and/or your
personal group participated in these activities. Mark (•) only one for each activity in column B. If
you have not visited during the past 12 months, go on to question X after completing column A.
Activity
(A)
This Visit
O
O
List of area-specific list of activities
Other (Please specify)
(B)
Frequency of activities during past 12 months? Mark (•) one
Several
Several
Several
Only
Never Daily
times a
times a
times a
once
week
month
year
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
14
ACT4: Was there anything you and your personal group expected to see or do on this visit to [NPS site] that you
were not able to?
O Yes
O No
ACT5: If YES, what was it? _______________________________________
ACT6: Why weren’t you able to see or do what you wanted to? _______________________
ACT7:
a) On this visit, did you and your personal group attend any [ranger-led activities/ programs,
informational/interpretive program] at [NPS site]?
O Yes
O No
b) If YES, what program(s) did you and your personal group attend?
c) If NO, why not?
O Not interested in activities/programs
O
[area-specific list of reasons]
O Other reasons (Please specify)
ACT8: On this visit, did anyone in your personal group participate in the Junior Ranger program? Please mark (•)
only one.
O
Yes, and earned the Junior Ranger badge
O
Yes, participated but did not complete
What prevented your group from earning the badge?
O
No, we did not have any children in the group
O
No, we had children in the group, but did not participate
Why not?
ACT9: If your personal group did not participate in the Junior Ranger program, please indicate the reason. Please
mark (•) all that apply.
O
O
O
O
O
Did not have any children in the group
Did not know about the program
Did not have enough time
Not interested
Other reasons (Please specify)
ACT10: On this visit, did you and your personal group take a tour with an independent guide (not a park ranger)?
O Yes
O No
ACT11: If YES, did your guide explain the park rules and regulations to you and your personal group?
O Yes
O No
15
ACT12: Have you ever taken a scenic air tour over [NPS site] or any other national park? Please mark (●) all that
apply.
O Yes, I have taken a scenic air tour over [NPS site]
O Yes, I have taken a scenic air tour over another national park
O No, I have never taken a scenic air tour over a national park
This is a new question. Visitor wait time for using services or facilities is important to their participation in such
activities. This information can be used by park managers for service/facility planning and crowd control policies.
ACT13: How long did you and/or your personal group have to wait to take the [tour](s)? Please list partial hours
as 1/4, 1/2, or 3/4.
________ Number of hours and/or minutes
This is a new question. Due to limited capacity in some NPS sites, crowds are controlled by ticketing systems.
This question provides managers with data about the level of usage of the services/facilities that the park offers
and helps determine the effectiveness and/or the need for a new ticketing/reservation system.
ACT14: a) Were you able to obtain a ticket for [program or tour]?
O
Yes
O No
b) If NO, why not? ____________________________________________
ACT15: On this visit, did you and your personal group use the audio tour in [area-specific list of available
languages]?
O
Yes
O No
ACT16: Which of the following park programs (e.g., media exhibits, ranger programs, literature, audiovisual
presentations, or informal ranger contacts) did you and your personal group participate in or use on this trip?
(Check all that apply.)
O The [area-specific list of programs__ program at the _[site]
ACT17: Of the above park programs and media, which one was the most meaningful to you?
_____________________________________
ACT18: Why was the park program or media you identified above most meaningful? (Explain
briefly.)_______________________________________________
ACT19: a) On this visit, how did you and your personal group explore [NPS site]? Please mark (•) only one.
O
[list of area-specific options (such as self-guided tour in private vehicle, education/school tour,
commercial tour, etc.)]
This section of ACT 19 is new. This information helps to determine the need for adjusting or adding interpretive
programs/media and other educational opportunities.
b) Did the above method(s) of exploring the park meet you and your personal group’s expectations?
O Yes
O No
16
ACT20: On this visit, did you and your personal group view the [type of] exhibits?
O Yes
O No
This is a new question. Park managers need this information to identify and mitigate issues such as exhibit
content and accessibility, as well as visitors’ awareness of exhibits.
ACT21: If you and your personal group did not use [view] the [exhibit type] exhibits, why not?
___________________________________________________________________
ACT22: On this visit, did you and your personal group attend a special event (such as cultural events, music,
movies, etc.)?
O
Yes
O No
This is a new question. Park managers need this information to determine the usage level of specific activities in
order to make management decisions such as prioritizing spending and meeting the needs of specialized
recreationists.
ACT23:
a) Did anyone in your personal group participate in [specific activity] in [NPS site] on this visit or past
visit(s)? Please mark (•) one.
O
O
O
O
b)
No, have not participated in [specific activity]
Yes, participated on both this visit and past visit(s)
This is our first time participated in [specific activity] here
Have participated in the past, but not on this visit
Where is your personal group’s preferred area to conduct [specific activity] at [NPS site]?
O
Don’t have a preferred area
OR list one
c)
Has anyone in your personal group ever developed a new route/area for this activity in [NPS site]?
O
Yes
O
No
This is a new question. This question provides information about commercial/concession services level of usage
by visitors. The information helps park managers in business/commercial planning.
ACT24: Did you and your personal group rent any equipment (canoe, kayak, tube, tank, etc.) from [a commercial
outfitter, concessionaire, etc.]?
O Yes
O No
This is a new question. Park managers need this information to justify the purchase, maintenance, and
enhancement of special needs equipment, as well as to identify gaps in visitors’ awareness of this equipment.
ACT25:
a) Did you and your personal group use any of the special needs equipment available at [NPS Site]?
O Yes
O No
b) If YES, was the special needs equipment easy to use?
O Yes
O No
c) If [NPS site] were to have an [special needs equipment, e.g. electric golf cart] available for visitors, is there
anyone in your group who would be likely to use it?
O Yes
O No
17
This is a new question. Park managers will use this information to make decisions regarding specific activities,
based on visitors’ responses as to their enjoyment watching such activities. It can also determine the need to
interpret the activity.
ACT26:
a) Did you and your personal group observe [specific activity] during this visit?
O Yes
O No
b) If Yes, did you and your personal group enjoy watching [specific activity].
O Yes
O No
c) If NO, why not? __________________________________
ACT27: On this visit to [NPS site], did you and your personal group obtain information from a [NPS site]
uniformed employee (park ranger/volunteer/concession employee)?
O Yes
O No
This is a new question. Park managers will use this information to determine levels of ranger-visitor interaction,
and to help develop or improve employee training.
ACT28:
a) During this visit to [NPS site], did you and your personal group have any personal interaction with a park
ranger?
O Yes
O No
b) If YES, did the park ranger/ employee start the conversation with you?
O Yes
O No
O
Not sure
This is a new question. This information will help park managers develop public awareness and understanding
of wilderness values.
ACT29: Most of [NPS Site] (xx%) is Congressionally designated wilderness. Did the wilderness designation affect
what you were able to do in the park?
O Yes
O No
This is a new question. Park managers will use this information to guide interpretive messages regarding the
value of scientific research and to determine visitors’ level of interest in science.
ACT30:
a) Do you think conducting scientific research on natural and cultural resources is a valuable use of public land
and monies?
O Yes
O No
b) Are you and your personal group interested in learning about the latest research that is being conducted in
national park units?
O Yes
O No
18
ACT31: About how many times did you run or hike on ANY trail in a park setting in the last 12 months? Please
mark (•) only one.
O [list of time intervals]
OR
O Don’t know/Not sure
ACT32: Including this trip, about how many times did you hike on the [NPS trail] in the last 12 months? Please
mark (•) only one.
O [list of time intervals]
OR
O Don’t know/Not sure
ACT33: To the best of your recollection, in what year did you first use [NPS location (e.g. trail, campground,
etc)]?
Year: _______
OR
O Don’t know/Not sure
ACT34: To the best of your recollection, in what year did you start hiking or running on trails in a park setting at
ANY location?
Year: ________
OR
O Don’t know/Not sure
ACT35: How likely is it you will [area-specific activity] during this visit? (Circle one)
Not at all
likely
1
Slightly
Likely
2
Moderately
Likely
3
Very
Likely
4
Completely
Likely
5
ACT36: I will make an effort to [area-specific activity] during this visit. (Circle one)
Not at all
Probable
Slightly
Probable
Moderately
Probable
Very
Probable
Completely
Probable
1
2
3
4
5
ACT37: I intend to [area-specific activity] during this visit. (Circle one)
Not at all
Probable
1
Slightly
Probable
2
Moderately
Probable
3
Very
Probable
4
Completely
Probable
5
19
FUTURE VISIT (FVIS)
FVIS1: Would you and your personal group consider visiting [NPS site] again?
O Yes, likely
O No, unlikely
O
Not sure
FVIS2: Why or why not? ____________________________________________
This is a new question. Park managers will use this information to understand potential motivation for repeat
visitation. This can affect decisions regarding interpretive programs, services and facility planning.
FVIS3: What would encourage you and your personal group to visit [NPS site] again? _________
FVIS4: If you were to visit [NPS site] in the future, which subjects would you and your group be most interested
in learning about? Please mark (•) all that apply.
O
O
O
Not interested in learning any of the subjects
[area-specific list of subjects]
Other (Please specify)
FVIS5: If you were to visit in the future, how would you and your personal group prefer to learn about the
[aspects of the park (e.g. geology, biology, and culture)] of [NPS site]? Please mark (●) all that apply.
O
O
O
Not interested in learning about any of these topics.
[area-specific list of learning sources, including interpretive media]
Other (Please specify)
FVIS6: If you were to visit [NPS site] in the future, which types of interpretive services would you and your
personal group like to have available? Please mark (•) all that apply.
O
O
O
Not interested in interpretive services
[area-specific list of interpretive services]
Other (Please specify)
FVIS7: If you were to visit [NPS site] in the future, would you and your personal group be interested in attending
ranger-led programs?
O
Yes, likely
O No, unlikely
O
Not sure
FVIS8: If YES, what length of program would you and your personal group like to attend?
O
O
O
O
Under 1/2 hour
1/2 - 1 hour
1 - 2 hours
Other (Please specify) ___________________________________________________________
FVIS9: Where [within the park] would you and your personal group like to attend a program? Or if you have no
preference, please mark (•).
Locations:
O
Have no preference
20
This is a new question. Park managers need this information to schedule appropriate ranger-led programs,
events and activities at times that best meet visitors’ needs. This information will be used when making park
program funding decisions.
FVIS10: If you were to visit [NPS site] in the future, which of the following ranger-led activities/ programs would
you and your personal group like to have available? Please mark (•) all that apply.
O
[specific list of additional activities/ programs]
FVIS11: Please mark (•) which are the best [days of week/times of day] to hold [programs, activities, tours, etc.].
(Response for day of week)
Weekdays
Weekends
O
O
Both weekdays and weekends
O
(Response for season)
SUN
O
MON
O
TUE
O
WED
O
THU
O
FRI
O
SAT
O
(Response for time of day)
Mornings
(sunrise to 10 a.m.)
O
Mid-day
(10 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
O
Late afternoon
(2 p.m. to 6 p.m.)
O
Evenings
(6 p.m. to sunset)
Night (sunset
to sunrise)
O
O
FVIS12: If you were to visit [NPS site] in the future, what would encourage you and your personal group to
attend a ranger-led activity/ program? Please mark (●) all that apply.
O
O
O
O
O
Nothing
Programs scheduled more often
Greater variety of program topics
Greater variety of types of activities
Other reasons (Please specify)
FVIS13: If you were to visit [NPS site] in the future, would you and your personal group be interested in taking
a guided tour or attending special lectures?
Guided tour
O Yes
O No
Special lecture
O Yes
O No
FVIS14: If YES, where would you and your personal group like to take a guided tour?
_________________________________________________
FVIS15: If YES, what subjects would you and your personal group like to learn about?
________________________________________________
FVIS16: If you were to visit [NPS site] in the future, which of the following additional facilities would you and your
personal group like to have available? Please mark (•) all that apply.
•
[area-specific list of additional facilities]
FVIS17: If you were to visit [NPS site] in the future, would you and your personal group like to have the following
services available in developed areas in [NPS site]?
list of services area-specific
internet access
cell phone access
Other (Please specify
Yes
O
O
O
No
O
O
O
21
This is a new question. Park managers will use this information to make planning decisions regarding facilities,
programs, and staffing.
FVIS18: If you were to visit [NPS site] in the future, would you and your personal group be likely to visit [location
in park]?
O Yes, likely
O No, unlikely
O
Not sure
This is a new question. This information is needed by managers to make informed budget and planning
decisions based on visitor preferences, since most book shops/gift shops have limited space for sales items.
FVIS19: Please list the types of items (e.g. books, video tapes, etc.) that you would most like to have available for
purchase in the [bookstore, gift shop, etc.] on a future visit to [NPS site].
_______________________________
This is a new question. Park managers will use this information to understand visitor’s desired use of a
reservation system. This will also help managers determine the utility and cost/benefits of a reservation system
that could be a measure used to guide planning decisions.
FVIS20 : If you were to visit in the future, would you and your personal group prefer to have a pre-visit reservation
system to obtain tickets for the [tour]?
O Yes
O No
FVIS21: If you were to visit [NPS site] in the future, what information on the park website
(http://www.nps.gov/[site]) would you and your personal group like to have available?
O
Not interested in using the website
O
[area-specific list of information]
FVIS22: If you were to visit [NPS site] in the future, would you and your group be willing to ride a shuttle bus to
major park viewpoints?
O Yes, likely
O No, unlikely
O
Not sure
FVIS23: If you were to visit [NPS site] in the future, would you use [park specific] shuttle again? Please mark (●)
only one.
O Yes, likely
O No, unlikely
O
Not sure
FVIS24: If you were to visit [NPS site] in the future, if a transit (bus) service existed, with service to the park’s
major destinations, how likely would it be that you would use such a service? (check only one)
O
Not at all
Likely
O
Slightly
likely
O
Moderately
Likely
O
Very
Likely
O
Extremely
Likely
O
Undecided
FVIS25: If you answered “Not at all likely” or “Slightly likely”, why might you not be interested in using it?
________________________________________________________________
22
FVIS26: If you were to visit [NPS site] in the future, how important would the following services on a shuttle bus
be? Please circle mark (●) one for each characteristic.
Shuttle characteristic
[area-specific list shuttle
characteristics (e.g., frequency
of shuttle service, on-board
orientation by employee)]
Not at all
important
Slightly
important
O
O
Moderately
Very
Extremely
important important important
O
O
O
This is a new question. Park managers will use this information to determine the level of support for a proposed
management decisions and develop appropriate media messages related to the issue.
FVIS27: [NPS site] is considering [proposed policy (e.g. the concept of a trash-free environment to reduce waste
collection time and costs)]. Would you willing to [specific action (e.g. haul out your own trash)] on a future visit
to [NPS site]?
O Yes, likely
O No, unlikely
O
Not sure
ITINERARY (ITIN)
ITIN1: On this visit to [NPS site], which of the following sites did you and your personal group visit? Please mark
(●) all that apply. If you did not visit a site, please leave that circle blank. Use the map below to help you locate
the sites you visited.
O
O
[area-specific list of sites with map included]
Other (Please specify)
ITIN2: Were you and your personal group able to visit all of the locations in [NPS site] that you planned to?
O
Yes
O No
ITIN3: If NO, why not? ____________________________________________
ITIN4: From the preceding list, what locations were you and personal your group unable to spend enough time
in?
____________________________________________________________
ITIN5: a. For this visit, please list the order (#1, 2, 3, etc.) in which you and your personal group visited
the following sites at [NPS site]. If you did not visit a site, please leave that line blank. Please use the
map to help you locate the sites.
b) Next, compared to what you expected, what was the quality of the sites that you and your
personal group visited? Please circle one number.
Met expectations?
Order Visited
(1,2,3)
[area-specific list of sites]
Other (Please specify)
Poorer than
expected
1
1
About the
same
2
2
Better than
expected
3
3
23
This is a new question. Park managers will use this information to manage traffic flow, crowd control, facility
planning and media messages.
ITIN6: Why did you and your personal group choose to visit in that order? [list of options e.g.]
O
O
O
O
O
Convenient with traffic flow
Followed directions on GPS, MapQuest, etc.
Saw signs on highway
Suggested by friends/relatives
Other (Please specify)
ITIN7: a) For this trip, please mark (●) all the park locations that you and your personal group visited in [NPS site].
Mark all that apply. Use the map on the next page to help you identify the locations you visited.
b) Next, only for the sites that you visited, please list the amount of time you spent at each location in
hours OR days. List partial hours or days as 1/4, 1/2, 3/4.
O Did not stop at any locations in the park
b) Time spent
Hours spent—
Days spent-if less than 24 hours
if 24 hours or more
a) Visit park location (●)
O
OR
[area-specific list of sites]
c) Which one site was the most important reason for your visit to [NPS site]?
________________________________________________________
This is a new question Park managers need this information to mitigate obstacles to particular sites, increase
awareness of under-utilized sites, and make management decisions regarding the use of sites.
ITIN8: If you and your personal group did not visit any of the above sites, why not?
This is a new question. Park managers will be able to usethis information to make planning decisions regarding
facilities, crowding, programs and activities.
ITIN9: Why did you and your personal group choose the above destination(s)? Please mark (•) all that apply.
ITIN10: What other areas of the park do you plan to visit today?
O
[area-specific list of sites with map included]
O
Other (Please specify)
LEARNING (LEARN)
LEARN1: a. [NPS site] interpretive programs and exhibits discuss the following topics: [list of topics]. Please mark
(•) all of the topics you and your personal group learned about on this visit in column a.
b. Please mark (•) in column b how much your understanding of each topic increased during your visit.
c. Next, mark (•) in column c which topics you would be interested in learning more about on a future visit.
Learned on
this visit?
O
TOPIC
[area-specific list of topics]
Increase in understanding?
Not at all
O
A little
O
Somewhat
O
A lot
O
Interested on
future visit?
O
24
LEARN2: a. On this visit to [NPS site], did you and your personal group learn about the following topics?
Please circle one answer for each topic in column a.
b. Would you and your personal group be interested in learning about these topics on a future visit
to [NPS site]? Please circle one answer for each topic in column b.
Topic
a) This visit?
b) Future visit?
[area-specific list of activities]
Yes
No
Yes
No
Other (Please specify below.)
Yes
No
Yes
No
a)________________________________ b)________________________________
LEARN3: Please list any additional topics you and your personal group are interested in learning about [NPS site].
LEARN4: What was the most important new information that you learned about [NPS site]?
________________________________________________________________
LEARN5: On this visit, did you and your personal group learn about [important area in NPS site]?
O
Yes
O No
LEARN6: On this visit to [NPS site], did you and your personal group encounter the [important park message] with
its advice and warnings?
O
Yes
O No
LEARN7: If YES, where did you encounter it? Please mark (•) all that apply.
O [area-specific list of places (e.g. signs, ranger program, etc)]
This is a new question. Park managers will be able to use this information when developing planning
communication and education strategies.
LEARN8: How did you and your personal group learn about the above [type information e.g., rules/regulations/
person/subject/tour, etc.] on this visit? Please mark (•) all that apply.
O
list of methods/resources/services
LEARN9: [NPS site] was established because of its significance to the nation. In your opinion, what is the
national significance of this park? ____________________
This is a new question. Park managers will be able to use this information to help determine the effectiveness of
interpretative programs/media and provide a baseline from which to increase effectiveness.
LEARN10: After visiting [NPS site], what aspect of the park’s story or history might you share with family and
friends? Please be specific.
_____________________________________________________________________
25
This is a new question. This question will provide information about the effectiveness of interpretive
programs/media at the park and will provide a necessary baseline needed to increase program effectiveness.
LEARN11: During this visit (viewing exhibits, movies, taking a tour, etc.) did you learn something about [person,
event, etc.] that is relevant or meaningful to your life today?
O Yes
O No
TRAILS AND BACKCOUNTRY USE (TBACK)
TBACK1: On this visit, did you and your personal group go into the backcountry of [NPS site]?
O
Yes
O No
TBACK2: Including this visit, how often have you gone into [NPS site] backcountry?
O
Once
O 2-4 times
O
5 times or more
TBACK3: Approximately what time did you start and end your trip on [specific trail] today?
Approximate start time: ____________AM/PM OR
Approximate end time: _____________AM/PM OR
O Don’t know
O Don’t know
TBACK4: Approximately how far did you go (roundtrip) on the [specific] Trail today?
O
[list of distances (e.g. less than one mile, one to two miles, two to five miles, more than
five miles)]
TBACK5: At which of the following trailheads did you start and end this overnight backcountry trip?
Starting location
(Mark one.)
O
O
Listings of Specific Trailheads
[area-specific list of starting locations]
[area-specific list of ending locations]
Ending location
(Mark one.)
O
O
TBACK6: How many nights did you spend in the backcountry of [NPS site] on this overnight backcountry trip?
Number of nights: ______
OR
O Don’t know
TBACK7: On this or past visits, did you and your personal group desire to explore the backcountry of
[NPS site]?
O
Yes
O No
TBACK8: If YES, were you be able to access the backcountry?
O
Yes
O No
TBACK9: If NO, what prevented you from accessing the backcountry?
_______________________________________________________________
26
TBACK10: If YES, how did you and your personal group access the backcountry? Please mark (•) all
that apply.
O
O
[list of access methods: ATV, boat, kayak, biking, hiking, etc.]
Other (Please specify)
TBACK11: On this visit to [NPS site], did you and your personal group [activity (e.g. walk, ride, etc.)] any park
trails? [question may include a map for reference.]
O Yes
O No
b) If YES, on this visit which of the following trails did you and your personal group [activity (e.g. walk, ride,
etc.)]? If you did not visit a trail, please leave that line blank. Use the map below to help you locate the
trails you used.
c) On past visits, which of the following trails did you and your personal group [activity (e.g. walk, ride,
etc)]? If you did not use a trail, please leave that line blank.
This is a new question Part (d) of this question was added to help park managers understand future trail use
patterns in the park for more effective planning. Whether visitors would use the same or different trails and the
proportions of use can affect where the park uses funds towards trail improvement.
d) If you were to visit the park in the future, which of the following trails would you and your personal
group [activity (e.g. walk, ride, etc)]?
This visit
O
O
[area-specific list of trails]
[area-specific list of trails]
Trails
Past visits
O
O
Future visits
O
O
O No past visits
This is a new question. This question was added to improve park managers’ understanding of visitors’ trail use
on this visit. This information will be used to determine the length of trails that visitors typically hike. This
information will be useful when making decision about providing funds for trail improvement.
TBACK12: If YES, please indicate the length of hikes you and your group took on this trip to [NPS site]. Please
mark (•) all that apply.
O
O
O
O
O
[list of trail lengths]
[list of trail lengths]
[list of trail lengths]
[list of trail lengths]
[list of trail lengths]
This is a new question. This information will be used to enhance park managers’ understanding about the lengths of trails
visitors would likely use on a future visit. The length of trails visitors would use affects future trail development (how long
should trails be). This information will be useful when making decision about providing funds for trail
improvement.
TBACK13: If YES, what lengths of trails would you and your personal group be willing to hike?
_____________________________
TBACK14: Why did you and your personal group choose the trails you did?
_____________________________________________________________
27
TBACK15: Please indicate if you walked off the marked/signed trails during this overnight backcountry trip for any
of the following reasons. (Please mark (•) only one for each item.)
[The list below is an example of items. The lists of items in individual surveys will depend on the
characteristics relevant to that park’s backcountry/wilderness.]
Yes
No
To move past or out of the way of others hiking on the trail
O
O
Don’t
Know
O
To move out of the way of a horseback riding group
O
O
O
To “go to the bathroom”
O
O
O
To explore an area that looked interesting
O
O
O
To get around a difficult part of the marked/signed trail
O
O
O
To take a photograph/get a better view
O
O
O
To see [area-specific attraction or feature] up-close
O
O
O
To shortcut a portion of the marked/signed trail
O
O
O
Accidentally, because the trails were poorly marked
O
O
O
For another reason (please specify):
O
O
O
I walked off the marked/signed trails…
This is a new question. This question was added because it will improve park managers’ understanding about
visitor opinions/level of acceptability concerning the number of trails in a system. This information can be
valuable during planning processes (e.g., are there enough trails, or are more needed, or is the park already
maintaining too many trails?)
TBACK16:
a) What is your opinion about the number of trails in [NPS site]? Please mark (•) only one.
O TOO MANY
O ABOUT RIGHT
O TOO FEW
b) What is your opinion about the locations of the trails in [NPS site]? Please mark (•) only one.
O CURRENT TRAIL LOCATIONS ADEQUATE
O ADD NEW TRAILS IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS
O OTHER (Please specify) ___________________
TRANSPORTATION (TRANS)
TRANS1: On this visit, which forms of transportation did you and your personal group use to arrive at [NPS site
or NPS site area]? Please mark (●) all that apply.
O
O
[area-specific list of transportation options (walk, private vehicle, etc.]
Other (Please specify)
TRANS2: On this visit, how many vehicles did you and your personal group used to arrive at [NPS site]. Please
write “0” if you did not arrive by vehicle.
Number of vehicles
28
This is a new question. This question will be used to inform the need for public transportation inside certain
parks.
TRANS3: During this visit, how many miles did you and your group drive inside [NPS site]?
_____ Number of miles
TRANS4: a) On this visit to [NPS site], did you and your personal group ride the park shuttle bus?
O Yes
O No
b) If no, why not?
__________________________________
TRANS5:
a) If YES, please rate the usefulness of the shuttle bus service Please mark (•) only one.
Not at all
Useful
O
Slightly
useful
O
Moderately
useful
O
Very
useful
O
Extremely
useful
O
b) If you rated the shuttle bus system as Not at all useful or somewhat useful, please explain:
________________________________________
TRANS6: How long did you have to wait to ride the park’s shuttle?
_________ (minutes)
TRANS7: How many buses departed full before you were able to board the shuttle?
O [list of options (i.e. none, one, two, more than two)]
TRANS8: What destinations will you/did you visit from [NPS site] shuttle? (Mark (•) all that apply)
O [list of destinations]
These are new questions. For parks that operate shuttle systems, these questions will be used to help park
managers understand more about the frequency of use and wait time for the shuttle bus system. Visitor
comments can determine whether the shuttle system is serving the public well (e.g. improvements, acceptability
of wait time, etc.)
TRANS9: Have you ridden the park shuttle before today? Please mark (•) only one.
O Yes, once
O
Yes, more than once
O
No,
TRANS10: How many times did you board the shuttle buses during this visit? _____ Number of times
TRANS11: Please provide any additional comments that you and your group may have about the shuttle bus
system. _________________________
TRANS12:
a) During this visit, did you and your personal group have to wait for a shuttle bus to pick you up along the park
road? This does NOT include courtesy shuttle buses in the entrance area.
O Yes
O No
29
b) How acceptable was this wait time? Please mark (•) one.
Not at all
Acceptable
O
Slightly
Acceptable
O
Moderately
Acceptable
O
Very
Acceptable
O
Completely
Acceptable
O
c) In your opinion, at what point is the wait time for a roadside shuttle no longer acceptable?
Number of minutes
This is a new question. Parking is an issue at many parks. This question will help managers understand the areas
that need improvement. Determining use patterns during certain times of the year will provide valuable
information that will work towards managing parking issues.
TRANS13:
a) If you and your personal group drove a vehicle to [NPS site] on this visit, where did you park? Please mark (•)
all that apply.
O [specific locations within the park]
O Other (Please specify) __________________
b) Why did you choose to park at the above location? Please mark (•) all that apply.
This is a new question. Knowing more about the size of recreational vehicles entering the park is valuable
information for planning or improving park facilities, such as roads, campsites, and parking lots. This data will
provide valuable information when determining the proportion of RV use and sizes when planning facilities for
this type of use.
TRANS14:
a) On this visit, did you and your group drive a recreational vehicle to [NPS site]?
O Yes
O No
b) If YES, how long was it? ____ feet
c) Were you and your group in a vehicle or recreational vehicle pulling a trailer or another vehicle?
O Yes
O No
d) If YES, how long was the trailer or other vehicle? ____ feet
This is a new question. Visitors’ personal use of public transit can be translated into a willingness-to-ridepublic-transit solution for some parks. This information is valuable for park managers in working with local
communities to make parks more accessible to people.
TRANS15: How frequently do you ride public transit for work or commuting? Please mark (•) only one.
O Never
O Infrequently
O Monthly
O Weekly
O Daily
30
TRANS16: This question asks about your use of transportation modes inside [NPS site] and has three parts.
a) First, please identify whether or not you and your personal group used each of the following modes of
transportation during your visit to the park. Mark (•) yes or no for each item.
b) Next, for only transportation modes that you and your personal group used, please use the 1-5 scale to
rate how important it is for you to be able to use this mode inside the park.
c) Finally, for only those transportation modes that you and your personal group used, please use the 1-5
scale to rate your satisfaction with the convenience of using that mode in the park.
a) Mode of Transportation Used?
[area-specific list of transportation
modes (e.g. personal vehicle, bicycle,
shuttle)]
YES
NO
O
O
b) If used, how important
to be able to use?
1= Not at all important
2= Slightly important
3= Moderately important
4= Very important
5= Extremely important
1
2
3
4
c) If used, how satisfied with
convenience?
1=Very unsatisfied
2=Unsatisfied
3= Neutral
4=Satisfied
5=Very Satisfied
5
1
2
3
4
5
TRIP CHARACTERISTICS (TRIPC)
TRIPC1:
a) On this visit, what was the primary reason that you and your personal group visited [NPS site] area? Please
mark (•) one.
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
Resident of area (within x miles/x-hour drive of the park)
Visit [NPS site]
Visit other NPS sites
Visit other area attractions
Visit friends/relatives in the area
Passing through—unplanned visit
Business
Other (Please specify)
_____________________________
This is a new question. Part B of this question was added to accurately specify a trip demand curve that can be
used to estimate the economic benefit of a park by using the travel cost method. Only a portion of trip time and
expenditures can be attributed to the park on trips where visiting the park was not the primary purpose of the
trip.
b) If [NPS site] was not your primary destination, how far was your primary destination from the park?
______ miles
31
This is a new question. The availability of and distance to alternative sites is important for correctly specifying
the trip demand curve that estimates the economic benefit of a park by the travel cost method. Visitors will
likely make fewer trips to a park if there are other sites closer that serve as substitutes for the park. On the other
hand, if a visitor passes other sites along the way, and incurs increased costs in time and money to reach the
park in question, it is indicative the park’s greater benefit to the visitor.
TRIPC2:
a) On this trip, if you and your personal group had not chosen to visit [NPS site], what other recreation site
would you have visited instead? _______________________________________________
b) How far is this alternative site from your home?
________ miles
TRIPC3:
a) On this trip, did you and your personal group stay overnight away from your permanent residence either
inside [NPS site] or within the nearby area (within n-hour drive/n miles of the park)?
O Yes
O No
b) If YES, please list the number of nights you and your personal group stayed in [NPS site] and in the area (within
n-hour drive/n miles of the park).
______ Number of nights inside the park
_____Number of nights in the area outside the park
c) If YES, how many nights did you and your personal group spend in the following types of accommodations?
Please write the number of nights stayed.
Number of nights
inside park
_______
_______
_______
_______
_______
_______
_______
Number of nights outside
park within
(n-hour drive/n miles)
Lodge, hotel, motel, cabin, rented condo/home, or bed & breakfast
RV/trailer camping
Tent camping
Backcountry camping
Personal seasonal residence
Residence of friends or relatives
Other accommodations (Please specify below)
_______
_______
_______
_______
_______
_______
_______
TRIPC4: In what town/city did you and your personal group stay on the night before your arrival at [NPS site]?
Nearest town/city
State
TRIPC5: In what town/city did you and your personal group stay on the night after your departure from [NPS
site]?
Nearest town/city
State
TRIPC6: On this visit, did you and your personal group visit the park on more than one day?
O Yes
O No
If YES, how many days did you visit [NPS site]?
Number of days
If NO, how many hours did you visit [NPS site]?
Number of hours
(Please list partial days/hours as 1/4, 1/2, or 3/4.)
32
TRIPC7: On this visit to [NPS site], how many times did you and your personal group enter the park?
OR
Number of entries
O Don’t know
TRIPC8: On this visit, how long did you and your personal group stay at [NPS site]? Please list partial hours as
1/4, 1/2, or 3/4.
Number of hours, if less than 24 hours
OR
Number of days, if 24 hours or more
TRIPC9: Compared with what you had planned, how much time did you and your personal group spend visiting
[NPS site]? Please mark (•) only one.
O
O
O
O
Didn’t have a planned amount of time
Spent longer time than planned
Spent about the time planned
Spent less time than planned
TRIPC10: If you and your personal group stayed for a shorter or longer time than planned, which were your
reasons for changing your plans? Please mark (•) all that apply.
O
O
O
O
O
O
Fewer things to do/see than expected
More things to do/see than expected
Longer wait at [important area/site] than expected
Shorter wait at [important area/site] than expected
Unable to obtain a ticket for [important area/site]
Other (Please specify) ___________________________________
TRIPC11: What would make you and your group stay longer than you did in the [NPS site] area (within an Xminute drive)?
____________________________________________________________
OR
O Would not stay longer
TRIPC12: On this visit to [NPS site], did you and your personal group have any difficulties locating the site?
O Yes
O No
TRIPC13: If YES, what was the problem? __________________________
TRIPC14: On this visit, which routes did you and your personal group use to arrive at [NPS site]? Please mark (•)
all that apply.
O
[area-specific list of route options]
O
Other (Please specify)
TRIPC15: On this visit to [NPS site], which entrance did you and your personal group first use to enter the park?
Please mark (●) only one.
O [area-specific list of park entrances]
TRIPC16: On this visit, through which park entrance will you leave on your final exit from the park? Please mark
(•) only one.
O [area-specific list of park exits]
33
TRIPC17: What time of day did you and your personal group arrive at the [NPS site or specific park location] on
the first day of your visit? Please mark (●) only one response.
Before 8 am
8-10 am
10am-12 pm
12-2 pm
2-4 pm
4-6 pm
6-7 pm
After 7 pm
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
TRIPC18: On this visit to [NPS site], which other places did you and your personal group visit in the area (within a
X-minute drive)? Please mark (•) all that apply.
O [area-specific list of nearby attractions/places]
O Other (Please specify)
TRIPC19: Which other local and regional attractions did you (or do you plan to) visit on this trip?
O [area specific list of attractions]
TRIPC20: In which community(ies) did you and your personal group obtain support services (e.g. information,
gas, food, or lodging) for this visit to [NPS site]? Please mark (•) all that apply.
O [area-specific list of communities]
TRIPC21: Were you and your personal group able to obtain all of the services that you needed in these
communities?
O Yes
O No
TRIPC22: If NO, what needed services were not available?
Service (list)
Comments (Please be specific.)
TRIPC23: In column a, please mark (•) all the services that you and your personal group use in the nearby
communities of [area-specific list of nearby communities] that were specifically related to this park visit.
In column b, please mark (•) all the services you would have used if they had been available.
O Did not use any services on this visit.
a) Used on
this visit
O
O
Services
[area-specific list of services (e.g. buy gasoline, eat a meal, etc)]
Other (Please specify)
b) Would have
used if available
O
O
TRIPC24: Do you have any comments about these services?
Service (list)
Comments (Please be specific.)
34
TRIPC25: In the park, did you and your personal group have any difficulty finding the commercial services (such
as lodging, food, gas, gift shops, etc.)?
O Yes
O No
TRIPC26: If YES, which of the following reasons contributed to the problem? Please mark (•) all that apply.
O
[area-specific list of reasons (such as signs, traffic, service was closed, etc)]
TRIPC27: On this visit, did you and your personal group eat in the [NPS site] restaurant/snack shop or shop in the
gift shop?
O Yes
O No
TRIPC28: Was your trip to [NPS site] part of a packaged tour (package tours commonly include transportation,
meals, lodging, and activities sold as a pre-set itinerary from a single company)? You may have purchased a
package tour directly from the company providing the service, or you may have worked with a travel agent who
booked you on a package tour.
O Yes
O No
TRIPC29: If YES, what was the name of the company (not travel agency) that provided the package tour?
______________________________
TRIPC30: When visiting [NPS site], were you and your personal group on a fixed schedule, such as
schedules set up by cruise ship tours or other tours, business meeting, etc.)?
O Yes
O No
This is a new question. This question was added to help managers understand more about we want to un
about visitor usage and dependency upon of electronic equipment. It is important to understand and try to
meet visitor needs in terms of electronic connections, as a means of sharing t information before, during or after
their visit to parks.
TRIPC31:
a) On this visit to [NPS site], did you and your personal group bring any of the following electronic devices with
you? Please mark (•) all that apply.
b) On this visit, did you and your personal group use any of the following electronic devices to obtain park
information? Please mark (•) all that apply.
a) Brought
on this visit
O
O
O
O
O
O
None
Laptop computer
Cell phone
MP3/MP4 player (audio tour)
Other portable electronic device (iPhone, Blackberry, PDA, etc.)
Handheld Global Positioning System receiver (navigation)
b) Used for park
information
O
O
O
O
O
O
c) What park information did you obtain using these devices?
35
d) If you did not use these devices on this visit, would you like to use them to access information about [NPS
site] on a future visit?
O Yes, likely
O No, unlikely
O
Not sure
This is a new question. Park managers will be able to use this information to know how well the campsite
reservation system is serving the public so that improvements can be implemented if needed.
TRIPC32:
a) Prior to this visit, did you or members of your group attempt to make reservations for campsites at
[NPS site] for this trip?
O Yes
O No
b) Were you able to make campsite reservations for this trip?
O Yes
O No
This is a new question. Some parks are experiencing significant drops in their campground use. These
questions will be used to determine whether the park the continued utility of this type of facility, or whether
changes are needed in the types of services offered.
TRIPC33:
a) On this trip, did you and your personal group camp inside [NPS site]? Please mark (•) one.
O Yes
O No, day use only
O No, stayed overnight bit did not camp inside the park
b) If you and your personal group did not stay in [NPS site] lodges or campgrounds, why not? Please mark (•) all
that apply (below is a list of answer choices).
O Costs were too high
O Facilities lacked desired amenities
O Location not convenient
O Lacked desired facilities
O Other (Please specify) _____________________
c) If the campgrounds lacked desired campsite types or facilities, what is it that you and your personal group
needed that was not available? Please be specific. _____________________________
This is a new question. This question will be used to help park employees understand complaints about other
visitors and their activities. Quantifying the issues can be helpful in providing information about visitor use and
perceived problems.
TRIPC34:
a) During this visit, did other visitors and their activities interfere with your visit to [NPS site]?
O Yes
O No
b) If Yes, how? Please explain. _________________________
36
This is a new question. The data from this question can help park managers understand the types of issues that
detract from visitor experience under park management. This information can help managers mitigate the issues
as much as possible.
TRIPC35:
a) Did anything detract from your enjoyment of any of the above features or qualities?
O Yes
O No
b) How it they detract from your enjoyment?
This is a new question. Visitor safety is a high priority for all park managers. It is important for managers to
understand more about visitor concerns prior to visit and learn what safety issues visitors encountered during
their visit. This will allow managers to provide park information that will allow visitors to be better prepared for
their visit from a safety standpoint.
TRIPC36:
a) Prior to your visit, did you or your personal group have any safety concerns about visiting [NPS site]?
O Yes
O No
b) If YES, what were the concerns?
c) Did you or your personal group encounter any safety issues during your visit to [NPS site]?
O Yes
O No
d) If YES, please explain. ______________________
This is a new question. Knowing where visitors encountered safety problems in the park is very important to
help park managers address the problems.
TRIPC37: Where was the problem? __________________________________
This is a new question. Managers in parks with water resources need to have information about launch and
take-out sites to better serve the public, in terms of providing parking, safety information, adequate restroom
facilities, etc.
TRIPC38: Where was your [launch/ take-out] site on this trip? ________________________
TRIPC39: Did you see any aircraft during your visit in [NPS site] today?
O
Yes
O No
TRIPC40: Did you hear any aircraft during your visit in [NPS site] today?
O
Yes
O No
TRIPC41: Where are you coming FROM and going TO on your visit today?
I stayed last night (slept last night) at:
O [area-specific list of locations]
I entered the park today at:
O [area-specific list of park entrances]
I visited, or plan to visit, the following locations today:
O [area-specific list of park locations]
37
I will leave the park today at:
O [area-specific list of park exits]
I will spend the night (tonight) at:
O [area-specific area specific list of locations]
38
TOPIC AREA 4: PREFERENCES/MOTIVES/ATTITUDES
Questions in this topic area will be used to collect data concerning the public's awareness and observations of
the natural and social environments in the parks. Preferences, motives and attitudes will be measured to
determine how individual observations influence overall experiences. For purposes of the programmatic review
process perception questions will be limited to topics the park or the NPS can control and manage.
PLACE ATTACHMENT (PA)
PA1: Please indicate your level of agreement or disagreement with each of the statements. Please mark
(•) only one response for each item.
[NPS site] means a lot to me.
Strongly
Strongly
Disagree Neutral Agree
Disagree
Agree
O
O
O
O
O
I enjoy [activity] in [NPS site] more than in any other park.
O
O
O
O
O
I am very attached to [NPS site].
I wouldn't substitute any other [similar place] for the [activity] I
do in [NPS site].
I identify strongly with [NPS site].
I get more satisfaction out of visiting [NPS site] than from
visiting any other [similar] area.
[Activity] in [NPS site] is more important than [activity] in any
other place.
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
I feel no commitment to [NPS site].
O
O
O
O
O
No other place can compare to [NPS site]
O
O
O
O
O
I feel that I can really be myself at [NPS site]
O
O
O
O
O
I feel [NPS site] is part of me.
O
O
O
O
O
Few people know [NPS site} like I do.
O
O
O
O
O
Visiting [NPS site] says a lot about who I am.
O
O
O
O
O
I feel a sense of pride in my heritage when I am at [NPS site]
O
O
O
O
O
[NPS site] is a special place for my family.
O
O
O
O
O
Many important family memories are tied to [NPS site]
O
O
O
O
O
[NPS site] contributes to the character of my community.
O
O
O
O
O
My community’s history is strongly tied to [NPS site].
O
O
O
O
O
[NPS site] has helped put my community on the map.
O
O
O
O
O
My community’s economy depends on [NPS site]
O
O
O
O
O
My family’s income or livelihood depends on [NPS site]
O
O
O
O
O
39
Local economies depend on [NPS site]
O
O
O
O
O
[NPS site] is important to protecting the landscape from
development.
O
O
O
O
O
[NPS site] is important in providing habitat for wildlife.
O
O
O
O
O
[NPS site] is important in protecting water quality.
O
O
O
O
O
[NPS site] is best for what I like to do.
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
The things I do at [NPS site] I would enjoy doing just as much at
a similar site.
Doing what I do at [NPS site] is more important to me than
doing it in any other place.
When I am at [NPS site] others see me the way I want them to
see me.
PA2: What is your favorite place at [NPS site]? Please name it, describe its location, or mark (•) “none.”
____________________________ is my favorite place (name or description)
O None
PA3: How important is [NPS site] to you? Please mark (•) only one response.
Not at all
important
O
Slightly
important
O
Moderately
important
O
Very
important
O
Extremely
Important
O
RECREATION PREFERENCES (PREF)
PREF1: Below is a list of possible experiences you may want (prefer) to have while visiting [NPS site]. For each
item please indicate how important the experience is to you on your visit to the park.
[This is a representative list of commonly used Recreation Experience Preference scale items]
Experience:
Not at all
Important
Importance
Slightly
Moderately
Important
Important
Very
Important
Extremely
Important
To be in control of things that
happen
To be with respectful people
To experience solitude
To be close to nature
To be alone
1
2
3
4
5
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
To be my own boss
To be where things are fairly safe
To be near considerate people
To avoid the unexpected
To see wildlife
To get away from noise
To be away from crowds of people
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
40
To get away from the clatter and
racket of home
To know others are nearby
To view scenic beauty
To be near others who could help if
you needed them
To feel my independence
To learn about things at [NPS site]
To view scenery
To see a specific species of wildlife
To photograph wildlife
To think about your personal values
To think about who you are
To be in a place that is quiet
To learn more about nature
To develop personal, spiritual
values
1
2
3
4
5
1
1
1
2
2
2
3
3
3
4
4
4
5
5
5
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
1
2
3
4
5
PREF2: The following is a list of characteristics commonly associated with backcountry and wilderness areas.
Please indicate how important each of the items listed below was to you as a reason to use the trails in the park
today. (Circle one number for each item.)
[The list below is an example of items. The lists of items in individual surveys will depend on the characteristics
relevant to that park’s backcountry/wilderness.]
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
Don’t
Know/
Not Sure
DK/NS
DK/NS
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
DK/NS
DK/NS
1
2
3
4
5
DK/NS
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
DK/NS
DK/NS
1
2
3
4
5
DK/NS
1
1
1
2
2
2
3
3
3
4
4
4
5
5
5
DK/NS
DK/NS
DK/NS
Not at all
Important
Remoteness
Solitude
Primitive recreation/few
facilities
Pristine natural environment
Physically challenging/
demanding
Unconfined recreation/free
from rules and regulations
Requiring self-reliance
Fostering a sense of humility
toward nature
Fostering
intimacy/connection with
others in your group
Fostering spiritual connection
Fostering immersion in nature
Slightly
Moderately
Very
Important Important Important
Extremely
Important
41
SOUNDSCAPE PERCEPTIONS (SOUND)
SOUND1: Many national historical parks such as [NPS site] commemorate historic events that include
recreating cultural and historic sounds such as muskets, farm animals, fifes and drums, etc. How
important are the cultural and historic sounds to the enjoyment of your park experience? Please mark
(•) only one.
Not at all
important
O
Slightly
important
O
Moderately
important
O
Very
important
O
Extremely
Important
O
SOUND2: While visiting an area such as [NPS site], how important are natural sounds (sounds of birds,
wildlife, water, etc.) to the enjoyment of your park experience? Please mark (•) only one.
Not at all
important
O
Slightly
important
O
Moderately
important
O
Very
important
O
Extremely
Important
O
SOUND3: On this visit to [NPS site], how did modern sounds (traffic noise, mowing machine, airplanes,
construction, etc.) affect your ability to hear and enjoy the following sounds? Please mark (•) only one
response for each item.
Did not
experience
Detracted
from
No effect
[area-specific list of natural
sounds]
O
O
O
O
[area-specific list of
cultural/historical sounds]
O
O
O
O
Ability to hear/enjoy
Added to
SOUND4: Please explain any "detracted from" responses to this question.
___________________________________________________________________
SOUND5: We would like to know about the [sounds (such as natural sounds, mechanical sounds, sounds of other
visitors, etc)] you heard in [NPS site] today.
Did you notice any natural sounds in [NPS site] today?
O Yes
O No
SOUND6: If YES, did you find any of these natural sounds pleasing?
O Yes
O No
SOUND7: If YES, did you find any of these natural sounds annoying?
O Yes
O No
SOUND8: Please describe the natural sounds that you found to be pleasing or annoying.
Pleasing: ______________________________________________
Annoying: _____________________________________________
42
SOUND9: Step 1: The listening portion of this survey will be lead by an NPS volunteer. Remember that all sounds are included, both human and
natural.
Step 2: Close your eyes and relax, and keep track of each individual sound that you heard.
Step 3: While holding your concentration, focus on the sounds you have heard. Now, please take a moment to fill out the attached sheet
before speaking with other participants about what you have heard. This exercise begins on the next page.
Step 4: Please put a √ check mark next to each sound that you heard during the exercise. If the sound is not listed, please write the sound(s)
in the blank spaces provided at the bottom of the SOUNDS column on page 4. Again, only put a √ check mark next to each sound that you
actually heard during the exercise.
Step 5: Under the ACCEPTABILITY OF SOUNDS AT THIS LOCATION column, please circle one number which best describes how unacceptable
or acceptable the sound was for this location in the park:
Step 6: Under the PERSONAL INTERPRETATION column, please circle one number which best describes how pleasing or annoying the sound
was to you
Step 7: Under the FEELINGS OR EMOTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH SOUNDS column, please list any feelings or emotions that you associated with
each of the sounds you checked√. Please only respond questions corresponding to sounds you actually heard.
Examples:
I felt relaxed because the stream was soothing to me.
I felt annoyed because the bird was beeping like an alarm clock.
I felt frustrated because the dog was barking when I wanted peace and quiet.
43
Very pleasing
5
Slightly pleasing
4
Uncertain
3
Slightly annoying
2
Very Annoying
Highly Acceptable
1
Acceptable
Yes
Uncertain
[list of
sounds]
Unacceptable
Did you
hear
this
sound?
Highly Unacceptable
Sounds
PERSONAL INTERPRETATION OF
THIS SOUND
ACCEPTABILITY OF SOUND
AT THIS LOCATION
1
2
3
4
5
Feelings or emotions associated
with that sound
44
THEORY OF PLANNED BEHAVIOR QUESTIONS (TpB)
[These questions illustrate the Theory of Planned Behavior framework as it is applied to an NPS
situation. Items will differ, depending on the nature of the study.]
NOT AT ALL
LIKELY
SLIGHTLY
LIKELY
MODERATELY
LIKELY
VERY
LIKELY
COMPLETELY
LIKELY
TpB1: Please answer the following questions regarding your [activity at NPS site].
1
2
3
4
5
Allow me to have the type of experience I desire at the
park
Allow me to engage in my chosen
activities while at GNP
Allow me to go to the areas I want within the park
Shorten traffic delays in the park due to construction
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
Prevent me from having to deal with undesirable
traffic conditions at the park
Allow me to see the sights at the park
Reduce my freedom to do the things I want to do at
the park
Allow me more time to interact with my family
Require me to plan my day
1
2
3
4
5
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
Doing specific activity (e.g., taking shuttle) will:
Cause me to be with new and different people
1
2
3
4
5
Alleviate parking issues within the park
1
2
3
4
5
Be a safe way to travel the through the park
1
2
3
4
5
Reduce my stress while visiting the park
1
2
3
4
5
Help me decide where to stop along my route
1
2
3
4
5
Allow me to see more of the park
1
2
3
4
5
Benefit the environment the park
1
2
3
4
5
Make me more aware of time while visiting the park
1
2
3
4
5
Be a comfortable way to travel through the park
1
2
3
4
5
Relieve me of the responsibility of driving while in the
park
1
2
3
4
5
Limit the number of things I can do while in the park
1
2
3
4
5
Benefit the environment in general
TpB2: Please evaluate the following possible outcomes of riding the shuttle at [NPS site].
45
3
3
4
1
2
1
Shortened traffic delays due to
construction are
Seeing the sights in the park is
Reduced freedom to do the things I want to do
in the park is
Allowing me more time to interact with my
family is
Requiring me to plan my day is
Alleviating parking issues within the park is
Safely traveling in the park is
Reducing my stress while visiting the park is
Helping me decide where to stop along my
route is
Allowing me to see more of the park is
Benefiting the environment in the park is
Making me more aware of time while visiting
the park is
Comfortably traveling through the park is
Relieving me of the responsibility of driving
while in the park is
Limiting the number of things I can do while in
the park is
Benefiting the environment in general is
MODERATELY
GOOD
VERY
GOOD
SLIGHTLY
BAD
2
2
SLIGHTLY
GOOD
MODERATELY
BAD
1
1
NEITHER BAD
NOR GOOD
VERY
BAD
Being with new and different people is
Having the type of experience I desire in the
park is
Engaging in my chosen activities while in the
park is
Not having to deal with undesirable traffic
conditions in the park is
4
5
5
6
6
7
7
3
4
5
6
7
2
3
4
5
6
7
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
6
6
7
7
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
4
5
5
5
5
6
6
6
6
7
7
7
7
1
1
1
2
2
2
3
3
3
4
5
5
5
6
6
6
7
7
7
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
6
6
7
7
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
4
4
4
4
4
46
[The following questions measure the “subjective norm” component of the Theory of Planned
Behavior and the “motivation to comply” component.]
TpB3: Generally speaking, to what extent did each of the following people encourage you to ride
the shuttle in the park? Please circle only one response for each item.
The group you are traveling with
Your family
Your friends
Park managers
Not at
All
1
1
1
1
Slightly
Somewhat
Moderately
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
Very
much
5
5
5
5
TpB4: Generally speaking, to what extent do the following people care about what you should
do while visiting GNP? Please circle only one response for each item.
The group you are traveling with
Your family
Your friends
Park managers
Not at
All
1
1
1
1
Slightly
Somewhat
Moderately
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
Very
much
5
5
5
5
47
TOPIC AREA 5 - CROWDING AND VISITOR EXPERIENCES
Crowding and conflict are among the most intractable problems faced by recreation mangers. Concern
over rising visitation in parks, and accompanying impacts on resources and on visitor experience, has led
the National Park Service to focus increasing attention on the concept of crowding and carrying capacity.
Crowding and conflict arise from the social encounters and interactions among recreationists ranging
from basic competition for space (e.g., crowding) to conflicts between forms of activity and related
expressions of acceptable or appropriate use. Research on crowding norms and conflict has been
particularly helpful in establishing guidelines for Limits of Acceptable Change planning efforts by
identifying key social impact indicators and the data required to monitor them. The questions in this topic
area will help managers understand the factor associated with the acceptability of crowing and visitor
carrying capacity.
CROWDING PERCEPTIONS (CROWD)
CROWD1: Please indicate how crowded you felt in the following locations today. (Circle one number for
each location you visited.)
[area-specific list of areas]
Not at all
crowded
Slightly
crowded
Moderately
crowded
Very
crowded
Extremely
crowded
1
2
3
4
5
CROWD2: For the places you visited, please rate how crowded you and your personal group felt by the
number of people present at the following locations. Please mark (●) only one answer for each place.
Not at all
crowded
Slightly
crowded
Moderately
crowded
Very
crowded
Extremely
crowded
O [area-specific list of places]
O
O
O
O
O
O Other (Specify)
O
O
O
O
O
Visit on this trip? (●)
CROWD3: On this visit to [NPS site], compared to what you expected, how crowded did you and your
personal group feel? Please mark (•) only one.
O
O
O
O
I didn’t know what to expect
Less crowded than expected
About the same as expected
More crowded than expected
CROWD4: Overall, compared to what you expected, how much traffic congestion did you experience
during your visit to [NPS site] Please mark (•) only one.
O
O
O
O
I didn’t know what to expect
Less traffic congestion than I expected
About the same as I expected
More traffic congestion than I expected
48
CROWD5: While inside the park, were you able to find parking at all the areas you wanted to visit?
O Yes
O No
CROWD6: If NO, at which area(s) were you unable to find parking?
________________________________________________________
CROWD7: On this visit to [NPS site], did you and your group experience any parking problems?
O Yes
O No
CROWD8: If YES, what parking problems did you experience?
________________________________________________________
CROWD9: On this visit to [NPS site], did you and your personal group experience traffic congestion or
parking difficulties at any of the following places? Please mark (•) all that apply.
Did not experience traffic congestion or parking difficulties, OR
[area-specific list of locations]
O
O
[Question may include a park map for reference.]
CROWD10: Approximately how much time did you wait in traffic congestion to enter [NPS site] on this
trip? (Enter 0 if you did not experience any congestion.)
_____________ Time in minutes
CROWD11: How acceptable was it to wait this amount of time to enter [NPS site]?
Very
Acceptable
O
Acceptable
O
Neither Acceptable
nor Unacceptable
O
Unacceptable
O
Very
Unacceptable
O
CROWD12: Overall, approximately how much time did you spend in traffic congestion looking for parking
at [NPS site] on this trip? (Enter 0 if you did not experience any congestion.)
_____________ Time in minutes
CROWD13: How acceptable was it to spend this amount of time looking for parking in [NPS site]?
Very
Acceptable
O
Acceptable
O
Neither Acceptable
nor Unacceptable
O
Unacceptable
O
Very
Unacceptable
O
49
CROWD14: Please indicate the degree to which you experienced solitude while [specific activity at NPS
site] today? Please circle only one answer.
Not at all
O
Slightly
O
Somewhat
O
Moderately
O
Very Much
O
CROWD15: About how many other hiking groups did you see per day while you were hiking on the trails
during your backcountry trip? (Enter a question mark “?” if you don’t remember)
# of hiking groups per day:______
OR
O Did not see any hiking groups
CROWD16: How many nights were you able to see or hear other visitor groups staying overnight near
your campsite/cabin during this overnight backcountry trip? (Enter a question mark “?” if you don’t
remember)
OR
Number of nights:_________
O Did not occur on any night
CROWD17: Please estimate the number of other visitors you saw at each of the following locations.
Location
[area-specific list of
locations]
Number of
other visitors
_____________
I can’t
remember
Does not
apply
O
O
CROWD18: Please indicate whether (and if so, how often) you have ever done each of the following in
any [NPS site, including wilderness or backcountry recreation area].
Ever Done?
No
Visit earlier or later in the
season to avoid seeing
other people
Visit on weekdays to avoid
weekend crowds
Yes
If so, how often?
Rarely
Occasionally
Often
Usually
Always
No
Yes
1
2
3
4
5
No
Yes
1
2
3
4
5
Go to trails that are less
crowded
Avoid places that have
limits on the amount of
use
Go to other areas where
you are less likely to see
other people
Avoid places that regulate
the use of horseback riders
No
Yes
1
2
3
4
5
No
Yes
1
2
3
4
5
No
Yes
1
2
3
4
5
No
Yes
1
2
3
4
5
Avoid attractions that are
crowded
No
Yes
1
2
3
4
5
50
This is a new question. Some parks experience crowding, so it is important for park managers to
determine how crowded visitors feel at different times of day. This information will be used to help in
park planning to control crowding and improve visitors’ experience.
CROWD19: At which times of day did you and your personal group feel crowded? Please mark (•) all that
apply.
MORNING
(4 a.m. to noon)
O
AFTERNOON
(Noon to 6 p.m.)
O
EVENING
(6 p.m. to midnight)
O
I can’t
remember
O
This is a new question. This question will help park mangers understand visitor perceptions of crowding
when determining group size and visitor carrying capacity at locations in various park settings.
CROWDING20: What do you and your personal group think is the maximum acceptable number of people
in each [type of group e.g. cave, tour, wilderness] before it becomes too crowded?
It would be acceptable to have a maximum of __
people
This is a new question. Understanding visitor preferences about crowding, will provide important insight
for park managers needed to present different management options/decisions about future recreation
use options.
CROWDING21 Several ways to reduce campground congestion at [NPS site] are being considered. Which
option do you and your personal group prefer? Please mark (•) one [list of options].
O
O
O
O
O
Not interested in camping inside the park
First come, first served until the campground is full
Use a reservation system
Raise camping fees
Other (Please specify) ___________________________________
CROWDING ATTITUDES (CRWDATT)
CRWDATT1: Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with each of the following
statements concerning management of [area-specific activity] in [NPS site]. (Circle one number for each
item.)
If people feel crowded, use limits should
be imposed
If visitor-caused resource impacts are high,
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
Don’t
Know /
Not Sure
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
DK/NS
DK/NS
51
use limits should be imposed
Use limits should never be imposed, even
if use is high
If solitude is lost, use limits should be
imposed
More trails should be added to reduce the
number of people seen
The number of trails that allow horseback
riding should be reduced
The number of trails that allow horseback
riding should be increased
More trailheads should be added to
disperse use away from busy areas
1
2
3
4
5
DK/NS
1
2
3
4
5
DK/NS
1
2
3
4
5
DK/NS
1
2
3
4
5
DK/NS
1
2
3
4
5
DK/NS
1
2
3
4
5
DK/NS
CRWDATT2: The number of other people I see while [participating in area-specific activity] in places like
[NPS site] affects my ability to experience solitude. (Circle one number.)
1
2
3
4
5
Strongly agree
Agree
Neither agree nor disagree
Disagree
Strongly disagree
CRWDATT3: Please indicate for each of the following numbers of people seen per hour while
[participating in area-specific activity] in [NPS site] how likely you would be to experience solitude
during such a trip. A rating of “1” means you would be very unlikely to experience solitude, and a
rating of “5” means you would be very likely to experience solitude. (Circle one number for each of
item.)
Not at all
likely
Slightly
Likely
Moderately
Likely
Very
Likely
Completely
Likely
Don’t
Know/ Not
Sure
1
2
3
4
5
DK/NS
See 2 other people per
hour
1
2
3
4
5
DK/NS
See 4 other people per
hour
1
2
3
4
5
DK/NS
1
2
3
4
5
DK/NS
1
2
3
4
5
DK/NS
See no other people
See 8 other people per
hour
See 16 other people per
hour
CRWDATT4: The amount of time that passes without seeing other people while [area-specific activity] in
places like [NPS site] affects my ability to experience solitude (Circle one number.)
52
1
2
3
4
5
Strongly agree
Agree
Neither agree nor disagree
Disagree
Strongly disagree
CRWDATT5: Please indicate for each of the following lengths of time without seeing other people while
[participating in area-specific activity] in [NPS site] how likely you would be to experience solitude during
that time. A rating of 1” means you would be very unlikely to experience solitude within the time period,
and a rating of “5” means you would be very likely to experience solitude within the time period. (Circle
one number for each item.)
15 minutes without seeing other
people
30 minutes without seeing other
people
1 hour without seeing other
people
2 hours without seeing other
people
3 hours without seeing other
people
Not at all
likely
Slightly
Likely
Moderately
Likely
Very
Likely
Completely
Likely
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
Don’t
Know/
Not Sure
DK/NS
DK/NS
DK/NS
DK/NS
DK/NS
CRWDATT6: Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with each of the following
statements about [area-specific activity] in [NPS site]. (Circle one number for each item.)
Even if I see several other people while [activity], I
can still experience solitude if there are extended
periods when I see no other people.
Even if I see several other people while [activity], I
can still experience solitude if most of the other
people I see are near the trailhead at the
beginning and end of my trip.
Even if I see several other people while [activity], I
can still have a sense of being in wilderness if
there are extended periods when I see no other
people.
Even if I see several other people while [activity], I
can still have a sense of being in wilderness if
most of the other people I see are near the
trailhead at the beginning and end of my trip.
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
CRWDATT7: The number of other people I saw during my [area-specific activity] today interfered with my
sense of solitude. (Circle one number, even if you did not see other groups.)
53
1
2
3
4
5
Strongly agree
Agree
Neither agree nor disagree
Disagree
Strongly disagree
CRWDATT8: The number of other people I saw during my [area-specific activity] today interfered with my
sense of being in wilderness. (Circle one number, even if you did not see other groups.)
1
2
3
4
5
Strongly agree
Agree
Neither agree nor disagree
Disagree
Strongly disagree
CRWDATT9: We would like to know what you think about issues related to visitor use of [NPS site].
Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with each of the following statements. (Circle
one number for each statement.)
[list of items related to number of
visitors, group size, and tour
specifics (if applicable).]
Strongly
Agree
1
Agree
Uncertain/
No Opinion
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
2
3
4
5
CRWDATT10: We would like to know what you think about issues related to the quality of the visitor
experience on [NPS site]. Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with each of the
following statements. (Circle one number for each statement.)
[area-specific list of items related to
visitor experience (e.g. NPS does a
good job protecting historic
structures, land, or animals.]
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Uncertain/
No Opinion
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
1
2
3
4
5
54
CROWDATT11: Please indicate how your experience of each of the following items during this overnight
backcountry trip affected your sense of being in wilderness. Please mark (•) only one for each item.
[The list below is an example of items. The lists of items in individual surveys will depend on the
characteristics relevant to that park’s backcountry/wilderness.]
How did it affect your sense of being in wilderness?
Added
greatly
Added
somewhat
Had no
effect
Detracted
somewhat
Detracted
greatly
The amount of time you were able
to hike without seeing other hiking
groups.
O
O
O
O
O
The number of horseback riding
groups you saw while you were
hiking on the trails
O
O
O
O
O
Not hearing or seeing other groups
staying overnight while at your
campsite/cabin.
O
O
O
O
O
The amount of time during the trip
you heard aircraft
O
O
O
O
O
Your ability to see dark night skies
O
O
O
O
O
The extent to which you were able
to see built structures
O
O
O
O
O
55
CROWDATT12: Please indicate how your experience of each of the following items during this overnight
backcountry trip compared with your expectations. (Mark one for each item.)
[The list below is an example of items. The lists of items in individual surveys will depend on the
characteristics relevant to that park’s backcountry/wilderness.]
A LOT MORE THAN
EXPECTED
MORE THAN
EXPECTED
ABOUT AS
EXPECTED
LESS THAN
EXPECTED
A LOT LESS THAN
EXPECTED
I HAD NO
EXPECTATION
How did it compare to your expectations?
The number of hiking groups you saw
while you were hiking on the trails
O
O
O
O
O
O
The number of horseback riding groups
you saw while you were hiking on the
trails
O
O
O
O
O
O
The number of groups staying overnight
that you could hear or see from your
campsite/cabin
O
O
O
O
O
O
The amount of time during the trip you
heard aircraft
O
O
O
O
O
O
The amount of glow from artificial light in
the night-sky
O
O
O
O
O
O
The extent to which you were able to see
built structures
O
O
O
O
O
O
56
VISITOR EXPERIENCE AND RESOURCE PROTECTION (VERP)
In 1992 the National Park Service (NPS) began developing the Visitor Experience and Resource Protection (VERP)
framework to address visitor use management and carrying capacity issues in the units of the national park
system. The concept of carrying capacity is intended to safeguard the quality both of the park resources and the
visitor experience.
[Questions in this section are used in Visitor Experience and Resource Protection (VERP) surveys, which may
include photographic or audio simulations of different experience settings.]
VERP1: We would like to know how many people you think could visit [area within NPS site] at any one time
without feeling too crowded. To help judge this, a series of photographs of the [area within NPS site] is shown in
the enclosure in this questionnaire. These photographs show different numbers of visitors in the [area w/in NPS
site]
Please rate each photograph by indicating how acceptable you find each one based on the number of visitors
shown. A rating of “-3” means the number of visitors is “very unacceptable”, and a rating of “+3” means the
number of visitors is “very acceptable”. (Circle one number for each photograph.)
Photo 1
Photo 2
Photo 3
Photo 4
Very
unacceptable
-3
-3
-3
-3
Unacceptable
-2
-2
-2
-2
Slightly
unacceptable
-1
-1
-1
-1
Neutral
0
0
0
0
Slightly
acceptable
+1
+1
+1
+1
Acceptable
+2
+2
+2
+2
Very
Acceptable
+3
+3
+3
+3
VERP2: Which photograph shows the level of use that you would prefer to experience in the [area within NPS
site]?
Photo number:
VERP3: Which photograph shows the highest level of use that the National Park Service should allow in the [area
within NPS site]? In other words, at what point should visitors be restricted from touring the [area w/in NPS site]?
If use should not be restricted at any point represented in the photographs, or not restricted at all, you may
indicate that by checking one of the box below.
Photo number:
O None of the photographs show a level of use high enough to restrict the number of visitors in
[area within NPS site]
O The number of visitors in the [area within NPS site] should not be restricted.
VERP4: Which photograph looks most like the number of visitors you typically saw in [area w/in NPS site] today?
Photo number:
57
VERP5: What is the maximum acceptable number of other visitors to see while you are at the [specific park
location (e.g. trailhead)]? (Please fill in a number or mark one of the other two options)
It is acceptable to see as many as ________ other visitors at the trailhead.
O
O
It doesn’t matter to me
It matters to me, but I cannot specify a number.
VERP6: Please estimate the size (number of individuals) of the typical group that you saw today.
_________ Individuals
O I can’t remember
O Does not apply
VERP7: We would like you to listen to several short recordings of sounds in [NPS site]. Please rate each recording
based on the sounds heard. A rating of “-3” means the sounds are “very unacceptable” and a rating of “+3”
means the sounds are “very acceptable”. (Circle one number for each recording.)
Very
unacceptable
Recording 1
Recording 2
Recording 3
-3
-3
-3
Unacceptable
-2
-2
-2
Slightly
unacceptable
-1
-1
-1
Neutral
0
0
0
Slightly
acceptable
+1
+1
+1
Acceptable
+2
+2
+2
Very
Acceptable
+3
+3
+3
VERP8: Did you find any of the sounds you heard on this recording to be pleasing? (Mark one.)
O Yes
O No
VERP9: If YES, briefly identify or describe the sounds you found pleasing.
_________________________________________________________
VERP10: Did you find any of the sounds you heard on this recording to be annoying? (Mark one.)
O Yes
O No
VERP11: If YES, briefly identify or describe the sounds you found annoying.
__________________________________________________________
VERP12: Which of the recordings you just heard sounds most like what you heard in [NPS site] today? (Mark
one.)
O
[list of recordings by number]
58
VERP13: We would like you to listen to a short recording of sounds at [a specific park location]. We would like to
know how often you think it would be acceptable to hear the sounds in the recording during your visit to [park
location]. To help judge this, we have a series of scenarios that describe how often you would hear the sounds in
the recording. Please rate each scenario by indicating how acceptable you find it based on how often you would
hear the sounds in the recording. A rating of “-3” means the scenario is “very unacceptable” and a rating of “+3”
means the scenario is “very acceptable”. (Circle one number for each recording.)
Very
unacceptable
Unacceptable
Hear the sounds
once X minute(s)
-3
-2
list continues
with time
intervals]
-3
-2
Slightly
unacceptable
Neutral
-1
0
-1
0
Slightly
acceptable
Acceptable
+1
+2
+1
+2
Very
Acceptable
+3
+3
59
TOPIC AREA 6 - EVALUATIONS/OPINIONS OF SERVICES, FACILITIES, AND MANAGEMENT
Public opinion of the services and facilities helps management teams understand the values people hold in
relation to park resources and the visitor experience and is critical to creating a plans that can be successfully
implemented. Underlying all fundamental planning decisions are competing values, which must be resolved by a
decision as to which value is of greater importance in a particular situation. A planning decision is the compromise
between competing values at a given point in time. Understanding public values enables the management teams
to make informed planning decisions. The questions in this topic area will be used to help managers learn about
public concerns, issues, expectations, and values. The collected data can be used to provide information on how
people use the park, on existing and desired conditions and on the acceptability of proposed indicators.
EVALUATION OF FEES (EVALFEE)
EVALFEE1: Currently no [fee type, e.g., entrance, shuttle, etc.] is charged at [NPS site]. In the future, a [fee type]
may be considered, with most [or all] of the funds collected remaining at the park to [explanation of fee uses].
If a fee of $X were charged in the future, would you and your personal group be willing to pay it? Please mark
(•) only one.
O Yes, likely
O No, unlikely
O
Not sure
EVALFEE2: Currently, the entrance fee to [NPS site] is $X/7 days per vehicle or $X/7 days per pedestrian/bike, but
not to exceed $X per family. In your opinion, how appropriate is the fee amount? Please mark (•) only one.
O Too low
O About right
O
Too high
EVALFEE3: Do you think the current [fare of $X, fee, price] is reasonable for this [specific service]? Please mark (•)
only one.
O
O
O
O
Yes, it is reasonable
No, it is too low
No, it is too high
No, there should be no fare
EVALFEE4: How would you and your personal group rate the value for the entrance fee you paid? Please mark (•)
only one.
Very poor
O
Poor
O
Average
O
Good
O
Very good
O
60
EVALUATION OF SERVICES/RESOURCES (EVALSERV)
EVALSERV1: Overall, how would you and your personal group rate the quality of facilities, services, and
recreational opportunities at [NPS site] during this visit? Please mark (•) only one.
Very poor
O
Poor
O
Average
O
Good
O
Very good
O
EVALSERV2: What did you and your personal group like least about your visit to [NPS site]?
________________________________________________________________
EVALSERV3: What did you and your personal group like most about your visit to [NPS site]?
_______________________________________________________________
EVALSERV4: On this visit, were the signs directing you and your personal group to [NPS site] adequate? Please mark
(•) only one response for each.
Signs on interstates
Signs on state highways
Signs in communities
O Yes
O Yes
O Yes
O No
O No
O No
O Not sure
O Not sure
O Not sure
EVALSERV5: If you answered NO to any of the above, please explain the problem.
________________________________________________________________
EVALSERV6: Inside the park, were the signs directing you and your personal group to facilities and sites
adequate?
O Yes
O No
EVALSERV7: If NO, what would have helped you to find your way?
________________________________________________________________
EVALSERV8: Please indicate how safe you and your personal group felt from crime, accidents, and natural
hazards during this visit to [NPS site]? Please mark (•) only one response for each safety issue.
How safe did you feel in the park?
Safety Issue
[area-specific list of safety issue (e.g. theft,
crime, accidents)]
Very
Unsafe
O
Somewhat Neither Safe Somewhat
Unsafe
nor Unsafe
Safe
O
O
O
Very
Safe
O
EVALSERV9: If you marked ‘very unsafe’ or ‘somewhat unsafe’ on any of the above issues, please explain why:
________________________________________________________________
61
EVALSERV10: Please rate the quality of your interaction with [park rangers, volunteers, concession employees] in
[NPS site]. Please mark (•) one for each.
Very
Very
poor
Poor
Average
Good
good
Helpfulness
O
O
O
O
O
Courteousness
O
O
O
O
O
Quality of information provided
O
O
O
O
O
EVALSERV11: Please indicate how the following elements may have affected you and your personal group’s [dining
or shopping, etc.] experience in [NPS site]. Please mark (•) one for each.
Element
[area-specific food-service elements]
[area-specific gift-shop elements]
Very
poor
O
Poor
Average
Good
O
O
O
Very
good
O
O
O
O
O
O
EVALSERV12: Please make any comments about the above elements. For example, if you were unable to [find an
item you wanted], please list it below.
Element
Comment
EVALSERV13:
a) Please mark (•) all the [visitor, information, concession] services and facilities that you and your personal group
used during this visit to [NPS site].
b) For only those services and facilities that you and your personal group used, please rate their importance from
1-5.
c) 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?
a) Used service/facility?
O [area-specific list of services/facilities
O [area-specific list of services/facilities
1=Not at all important
2=Slightly important
3=Moderately important
4=Very important
5=Extremely important
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
c) If used, what quality
1=Very poor
2=Poor
3=Average
4=Good
5=Very good
5
5
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
62
EVALSERV14: Please explain any ratings of "very poor" or "poor" in column d of this question.
________________________________________________________________
EVALSERV15: Please explain any ratings of "very good" in column d of this question.
________________________________________________________
This is a new question. This question will be used to help park managers understand which services, facilities, or
activities would have enhanced visitor experiences. Part b provides an opportunity for respondent offer feedback
concerning specific services, programs, activities that not available in previous versions of this question.
EVALSERV16:
a) Is there any [service, facility, activity] or another aspect of your visit that could have been enhanced by [specify
management action]?
O Yes
O No
b) What would you and your personal group recommend to improve current [services, programs, activities, etc.)
provided at the park? Please be specific.
_________________________________________
This is a new question. This question will be used to provide feedback about. visitor satisfaction with park
services, facilities, programs, activities, etc. This information will provide park managers with the feedback
needed develop on-site management plans.
EVALSERV17:
a) On this visit, how satisfied were you and your personal group with [service, facility, program, activity in [NPS
site}?
Very
Somewhat
Neutral
Somewhat
Very
dissatisfied
dissatisfied
satisfied
satisfied
O
O
O
O
O
b) If you responded to part d above with “very dissatisfied” or “somewhat dissatisfied,” please explain.
63
EVALSERV18:
a) On this visit to [NPS site], which of the following commercial services did you and your group use?
b) If you and your personal group used lodging, campsites and/or restaurants/food service, were you able to get
your first choice of location?
c) Did the commercial services that you and your personal group used meet your expectations? Please circle one
answer.
Meet expectations? Circle one
Use
service
Commercial service
Area-specific list of commercial services
(e.g. campgrounds, purchase gas, medical
services)]
O
Did you get
your first
choice
Yes
No
Worse than
expected
About
what was
expected
Better
than
expected
1
2
3
EVALSERV19: Please explain any "no" or “worse than expected” responses in columns b and c of this
question.___________________________________
This is a new question. The responses to this question will provide information about the current interpretation
of the park’s “story”. Visitors will be able to provide feedback on anything about the park’s stories could be
emphasize or strengthened, so that park managers can work towards improving interpretive programs/media as
needed.
EVALSERV20:
a) In your opinion, were there any stories presented at [NPS site] that needed to be emphasized or strengthened?
O
Yes
O No
b) If YES, what were the parts of the story that need to be strengthened? (open ended)
_________________________________
This is a new question. The responses to this question will help managers understand how visitor’s view the
depth of information provided in park programs.
EVALSERV21: How appropriate was the depth of information in the programs you and your personal group
attended? Please mark (●) one from the following options:
O Too simple
O About right
O Too complex
64
This is a new question. Ranger-led tours are used by park managers who are trying to better inform the public.
Visitor feedback about various aspects of the tours will help managers create programs that are beneficial to the
visitor’s experience.
EVALSERV22: If you took the ranger-led or volunteer-led tour of the [NPS site] on this visit, please mark (•) one
response for each of the following aspects of the tour.
[List specific aspects of tour to rate, e.g.]
Topics discussed on tour
O
Of interest
O
Tour/program length
O
Too short
O
Not of interest
About right
O
Timing of programs/ Taking tour at desired time tour at desired time
O
Able to take tour at desired time
O
Ability to see interior of room due to tour size
O
Able to see
O
Historic appearance of rooms
O Very Poor O Poor
Too long
Not able to take
Not able to see
O Average
O Good
O Very Good
This is a new question. This question will help manager understand how helpful the exhibits are to the
educational and interpretive aspect to learning more about the site. This information will help to provide up-todate information that can be used to determine the quality of current exhibits.
EVALSERV23: If YES, please provide one response to each of the following questions.
a) Did you and your personal group find the exhibit objects interesting?
b) Please rate the length of the exhibit text.
c) Was the exhibit lighting adequate to see the objects on display and read the text?
d) Were the exhibits easy to understand?
a) Objects
interesting?
Exhibit
[area-specific list of exhibits]
Circle one
Yes
No
b) Length of text?
1=Too short
2=About right
3=Too long
1
2
3
c) Exhibit
lighting
adequate?
d) Easy to
understand?
Circle one
Yes
No
Circle one
Yes
No
65
EVALSERV24: What did you and your personal group like most and least about [NPS site] visitor center and
outdoor exhibits?
Visitor center exhibits
O
Did not use
Liked most:_________________________________________________
Liked least:_________________________________________________
Outdoor exhibits
O
Did not use
Liked most:_________________________________________________
Liked least:_________________________________________________
This is a new question. Measuring the effectiveness of interpretive exhibits will allow park managers make
informed decisions about setting priorities and budgets for updating and improving exhibits.
EVALSERV25: For only those exhibits that you or your personal group viewed/read, please rate their helpfulness
to you in understanding [the history of the site].
Not at all helpful
O
Slightly helpful
O
Moderately helpful
O
Very helpful
O
Extremely helpful
O
EVALSERV26: In your opinion, what information on the park website needs enhancement? Please mark (•) all
that apply.
O
Did not use park website/no opinion
Needs Enhancement
[area-specific list of possible information]
O
Other (Please specify below)
O
a)
b)
66
EVALSERV27: On this trip to [NPS site], did you or any members of your personal group use the following
reservation services? Please mark (•) all that apply in the left column.
For each reservation service that you and your personal group used, please rate its quality using a scale from 1-5
of each of the following features.
If used, what was the quality?
1
Very poor
Used service? mark (•)
3
Average
4
Good
5
Very good
Sufficiency of
information
provided
Efficiency of
service
Ease of
use
Accuracy of
reservation/
permit
_____
______
_____
______
O [area-specific list of reservation services]
2
Poor
EVALSERV28: If you or your personal group used any of the above services, please describe any changes you
would recommend to the current system.
Service
_________________
Recommend changes
_______________________________
EVALSERV29:
a) Please rate how satisfied you and your personal group were with your tour reservation-making experience.
Please mark (•) only one.
Very Poor
O
Poor
O
Average
O
Good
O
Very Good
O
b) If you rated the reservation-making experience as "very poor" or "poor," what problems did you encounter?
____________________________________
This is a new question. This question will help managers understand how visitors rate the importance of park
activities. This information will allow park managers to make decisions related to facilities, personnel, and
interpretive services that support particular activities.
EVALSERV30: For those activities that you and your personal group participated in on this visit, please rate on a
scale from 1 to 5 the importance of each activity to your park experience.
list of activities
list of activities
Not at all
important
1
1
Slightly
important
2
2
Moderately
important
3
3
Very
important
4
4
Extremely
important
5
5
67
This is a new question. With information from this question, park managers can advise interpretive staff as to
the most appropriate topics to present, and visitors’ preferences as to how they are presented.
EVALSERV31:
b) From the topics listed below, please tell us how important the information you received was in presenting
different viewpoints [topic]? Please rate the importance from 1-5 in column b.
c) Next, How would you describe the amount of information you and your personal for the topics listed below.
SLIGHTLY
IMPORTANT
MODERATELY
IMPORTANT
VERY IMPORTANT
EXTREMELY
IMPORTANT
NOT ENOUGH
ABOUT RIGHT
TOO MUCH
TOPIC
C
NOT AT ALL
IMPORTANT
B
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
1
2
2
3
3
EVALSERV32: Would you recommend visiting [NPS site] to others?
O Yes
O No
EVALSERV33: If YES, please explain why.
________________________________________________________________
EVALSERV34: If NO, please explain why.
______________________________________________________________________
This is a new question. This information will give park managers a benchmark of their sites’ overall performance
in relation to other NPS sites that can be used for planning and management purposes.
EVALSERV35: If YES, how does [NPS site] compare to other [type] sites you have visited?
________________________________________________________________
EVALSERV36: How would you and your personal group rate the quality of your experience in the backcountry of
[NPS site]? Please mark (•) only one.
Very Poor
Poor
Average
Good
Very Good
O
O
O
O
O
EVALSERV37: Is there anything you and your personal group would like to see changed in the way the
backcountry is managed?
68
EVALSERV38: Please indicate which of the following statements best describes your impression of the night-sky
during this overnight backcountry trip. Please mark (•) only one.
The darkness of the night-sky and brilliance of stars and planets were…
O
Not at all affected by artificial light glow
O
Slightly affected by artificial light glow
O
Moderately affected by artificial light glow
O
Very affected by artificial light glow
O
Extremely affected by artificial light glow
O
Don’t remember
EVALUATION OF TRANSPORTATION (EVALTRAN)
EVALTRAN1: We would like to know how you feel about using different kinds of transportation in [NPS site]. For
each item below, FIRST rate how much you think it describes the form of transportation you used to enter the
park. THEN rate how much you think it describes the park shuttle bus. Please answer this last part even if you
have not yet used the shuttle bus system.
Vehicle you used to enter
the park
STRONGLY AGREE
AGREE
DISAGREE
STRONGLY DISAGREE
STRONGLY AGREE
AGREE
DISAGREE
STRONGLY DISAGREE
[possible characteristics of transportation (such
as easy access to personal belongings,
affordable, sense of freedom)]
[NPS site] Shuttle
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
EVALTRAN2: Overall, what is your attitude toward the use of alternative transportation for visitor travel once
inside U.S. National Parks, which includes modes of travel other than private automobiles, such as bicycle, bus,
boat, carriage, ferry, train, tram, trolley, or van?
Very Favorable
O
Favorable
O
Unfavorable
O
Very Unfavorable
O
EVALTRAN3: How frequently would a bus need to pass by a stop (pick-up point) for you to consider using the
service in [NPS site]? (check only one)
O
[list of time intervals]
69
NOT AT ALL
IMPORTANT
SLIGHTLY
IMPORTANT
MODERATELY
IMPORTANT
VERY
IMPORTANT
EXTREMELY
IMPORTANT
EVALTRAN4: How important are the following features for a transit (bus) service within [NPS site]?
O
O
O
O
O
[list of features (on-time service, frequency of service,
ability to access trailheads, ability to bring gear with
me, green technology)]
EVALTRAN5: Please rate the shuttle service on each of the following:
[list of services/features (e.g. ontime performance, frequency, etc)]
Very
Good
Good
Fair
Poor
Very
Poor
No
Opinion
O
O
O
O
O
O
EVALTRAN6: What improvements would make you more likely to use this shuttle again in the future? Please
mark (•) all that apply.
O
[area-specific list of improvements (e.g. more frequent service, greener technology, more stops, etc)]
OPINIONS ON PARK MANAGEMENT (OPMGMT)
OPMGMT1: If you were a park manager planning for the future of [NPS site], what would you and your personal
group propose? Please be specific.
________________________________________________________________
This is a new question. This information will provide park managers with direct feedback from visitors concerning
their vision for the park’s future, as they substantiate the value of work in progress, inspire ideas for the future,
and highlight visitors’ most important issues.
OPMGMT2: What could the managers at [NPS site] do as they plan for the future? Please be specific.
________________________
OPMGMT3: Is there anything else you and your personal group would like to tell us about your visit to [NPS site]?
________________________________________________________________
70
NOT AT ALL
IMPORTANT
SLIGHTLY
IMPORTANT
MODERATELY
IMPORTANT
VERY
IMPORTANT
EXTREMELY
IMPORTANT
OPMGMT4: It is the National Park Service’s responsibility to protect this park’s natural and cultural resources/attributes
and visitor experiences that depend on these. How important is the protection of the following to you and your personal
group? Please mark (•) only one answer for each resource/attribute/experience.
[area-specific list of site features]
O
O
O
O
O
Interpretive/informational programs
O
O
O
O
O
Clean water
O
O
O
O
O
Clean air
O
O
O
O
O
Scenic views
O
O
O
O
O
Solitude
O
O
O
O
O
Natural quiet/sounds of nature
O
O
O
O
O
Native plants
O
O
O
O
O
Wildlife
O
O
O
O
O
Resource/attribute
OPMGMT5: Please rate how appropriate you and your personal group feel the following activities are in [NPS site].
Please mark (•) one for each activity.
Activity
[area-specific list of
activities (e.g. playing
Frisbee, sunbathing,
bicycling on trails, etc]
Never
Sometimes
Usually
Always
appropriate
appropriate
appropriate
appropriate
O
O
O
O
OPMGMT6: Please indicate the extent to which you and your personal group would support or oppose each of
the following potential management actions at [NPS site]. (Please mark (•) one number for each item.)
[list of actions (e.g. require visitors to
ride a free shuttle bus, prohibit specific
activities, remove specific existing
facilities, etc.]
Strongly
Support
Support
Neither
Support
nor
Oppose
O
O
O
Oppose
Strongly
Oppose
Don’t
Know/
Not
Sure
O
O
DK
71
OPMGMT7: How much of a problem do you think the following issues are at [NPS site]? Please mark (•) one for
each
[area-specific list of issues (e.g. too many buses
on the road; lack of visitor facilities; difficulty
locating the trail, etc]
Not a
Problem
Small
Problem
Big
Problem
Don’t Know/
No Opinion
1
2
3
DK
This is a new question. This is information will be used by Park to determine how to maintain park grounds,
and/or how to explain, through park publications and programs, the reasons for certain management practices.
OPMGMT8: The [NPS site] is currently maintained to reflect a manicured appearance. If you and your personal
group were to visit in the future, which of the following maintenance options would you prefer? Please mark (•)
only one.
O
O
O
O
Maintain this area as it is now
Restore [historic] appearance with farm crops and native grasses
Combination of both of the above management methods
No opinion/don’t care
This is a new question. This information will provide park managers with feedback needed to understand
visitors’ preferences concerning the use entrance fees. In some parks, decisions will be considered about how to
explain the use of fees, through park publications and programs.
OPMGMT9: Most of the entrance fees collected at [NPS site] remain at the park and are used for resource
protection and visitor services. In the future, how would you like to see these funds used at [NPS site]? Please
mark (•) all that apply.
[list of options]
This is a new question. This information will help park mangers to understand visitors’ preferences for park
anniversary activities. This will support planning efforts in ways that are supported by visitors.
OPMGMT10: [NPS site] will be celebrating its “xth” anniversary in [year]. How would you and your personal
group like to see [NPS site] celebrate this event?
This is a new question. This information will help park managers to understand visitors’ preferences regarding
park policies and how to best communicate new policies to the public.
OPMGMT11: Several ways to reduce [type of congestion, crowding, impacts, resource degradation, etc.] at [NPS
site] are being considered. Which option do you and your personal group prefer? Please mark (•) one. [list of
options]
72
This is a new question. This information will be used by park managers to understand visitors’ perspectives on
services that need improvement, and helps prioritize management actions.
OPMGMT12: What would you and your personal group recommend to improve current visitor services provided
at the park? Please be specific.
_________________________________________
This is a new question. Understanding visitors’ opinions on preferred ways to limit seasonal use of services,
facilities, or resources will assist park managers in making decisions that will have public support.
OPMGMT13: Below are some ways to limit [seasonal] use. Which do you prefer? Please mark (•) all that
apply.
O [site specific options]
O other (Please specify)
This is a new question. Understanding visitors’ opinions on preferred ways to limit visitation will assist park
managers in making decisions that will have public support.
OPMGMT14: In the future, if visitation to the [recreational] area at [NPS site] has to be limited to protect park
resources and the visitor experience, how would you rate the following alternatives? Please mark (•) only one
answer for each option.
ACCEPTABLE
O
NOT ACCEPTABLE
O
NO OPINION
O
This is a new question. With this information, park managers will be able to prioritize interpretive activities and
make decisions as to which should be continued and developed.
OPMGMT15: [NPS site] currently uses living history programs and encampments, including weapons and clothing,
to interpret the [fort’s] history. If you were to visit in the future which of the following options would you
prefer? Please mark (•) one.
O
O
O
O
Not interested in living history programs
Continue current program
Stop using living history programs, including weapons and clothing
Offer more living history programs
TRUST IN THE NPS (TRUST)
TRUST1: Do you trust [NPS site] to manage the following? Please mark (•) one for each.
[area-specific list of items, e.g., fishing trails, fires, forest
health, water quality, wildlife,motorized use, overnight use,
parking, safety, etc.]
Yes
No
O
O
Don’t
Know
O
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TRUST2: How much do you trust the National Park Service? Please mark (•) one for each.
Not at all
A little
Some
A lot
Don’t know
At the national level?
O
O
O
O
O
At [NPS site]?
O
O
O
O
O
TRUST3: Over time, how has your level of trust in the [NPS site] staff changed? Please mark (•) only one.
Worsened
Has not changed
Improved
Don’t know
O
O
O
O
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TOPIC AREA 7 – ECONOMIC IMPACT AND BENEFIT ANALYSIS
Visitor expenditure and income information is needed to calculate the economic impact and benefit of park
visitation. Economic impact measures how much the money people spend visiting parks and surrounding areas
contributes to the local economy in terms of jobs and income. Economic benefit measures how much visitors value
a park above what they spend, or the increase in social welfare a park provides. Accurate impact assessment
requires identification of those portions of expenditures that occur in the local region and inside the park.
Questions will be used to develop average spending estimates for visitors to the park and local region. Income and
income foregone questions provide information about the value, or economic benefit, of a visit to the park.
ECONOMIC IMPACT AND BENEFIT (ECON)
ECON1: a) Which category best represents your annual household income? Please mark (•) only one.
O Less than $24,999
O $75,000 to $99,999
O $25,000 to $34,999
O $100,000 to $149,999
O $35,000 to $49,999
O $150,000 to $199,999
O $50,000 to $74,999
O $200,000 or more
O Do not wish to answer
This is a new question. This question will be used to calculate household income per capita. This information will
be compatible with census data.
b) How many people are in your household? _______ Number of people
This is a new question. This question will provide information because the amount of foregone income a
household incurs is important for accurately specifying the trip demand curve that estimates the economic
benefit of a park by the travel cost method. It helps estimate the value of the trade-off the visitor made between
earning more income and taking the trip to the park.
ECON2: a) Did your household take any unpaid vacation or take unpaid time off from work to come on this trip?
O Yes
O No
b) How much income did your household forgo to make this trip? $__________
ECON3: What was your household’s total income during the past 12 months?
______________
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ECON4 For you and your personal group, please report all expenditures for the items listed below for this visit to the
[NPS site] and the surrounding area (within a X-minute drive). Please write "0" if no money was spent in a particular
category.
a) Please list your personal group's total expenditures inside [NPS site].
b) Please list your personal group's total expenditures in the surrounding area (within a X-minute drive of
park).
NOTE: Surrounding area residents should only include expenditures that were directly related to this visit to [NPS
site].
Hotels, motels, cabins, 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.)
Other transportation expenses(rental cars, taxis, auto repairs, but NOT
airfare)
Admission, recreation, entertainment fees
All other purchases (souvenirs, film, books, sporting goods, clothing, etc.)
Donations
EXPENDITURES
a) Inside park
b) Surrounding
area
$_______
$_______
$_______
$_______
$_______
$_______
$_______
$_______
$_______
$_______
$_______
$_______
$_______
$_______
$_______
$_______
$_______
$_______
$_______
$_______
ECON5 How many people do the above expenses cover?
Adults (18 years or over)
Children (under 18 years)
This is a new question. Total trip expenditure is needed to develop an accurate estimate of the economic benefit
of a park by the travel cost method. Total trip expenditure, which includes the costs of getting to and from the
park, is indicative of the entire value the visitor placed on visiting the park, not just what they spent inside the
park or immediately surrounding the park.
ECON6: What was the total cost of your personal group’s trip to [NPS site] from when you left home until you
returned?
$ ____________
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This is a new question. This information provides managers a more accurate record of visitor use of the various types of
passes and entry methods, particularly if entrance stations have limited hours.
ECON7 On this visit, which one of the following entrance fees applied to you and your personal group? Please
mark (•) one.
O
O
O
O
O
O
DID NOT PAY A FEE OR USE A PASS TO ENTER THE PARK
7 DAY ENTRANCE FEE ($10/vehicle or $3/individual)
PASS (Golden Eagle Pass, Annual [NPS Site] Park Pass, Golden Age Pass, Golden
Access Pass)
FEE INCLUDED IN TOUR PACKAGE
DON'T KNOW
OTHER (Please specify) _____________________________________________
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| File Type | application/pdf |
| File Title | RESPONDENT CHARACTERISTICS |
| Author | Jim Gramann |
| File Modified | 2011-06-29 |
| File Created | 2011-06-29 |