Visitor Survey At Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (DEWA)

NOTE: For the purpose of this review the questions below will serve as the content for three separate surveys: 1) river-based visitors, 2) trail-based visitors, and 3) front-country visitors. Questions 1-14 will appear in all versions of the surveys. The questions that appear on pages 7-12 are unique to each of the user groups listed above.

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

Survey

PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT and PRIVACY ACT statements: The National Park Service is authorized by 16 U.S.C. 1a-7 to collect this information. This information will be used by park managers to understand the visitor use and the perceptions of recreation management at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Response to this request is voluntary and anonymous. No action may be taken against you for refusing to respond to this questionnaire. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

BURDEN ESTIMATE STATEMENT: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 15 minutes to complete this questionnaire. Direct comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection to: Jeffrey C. Hallo, Associate Professor, Clemson University, Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, 280B Lehotsky Hall, Clemson, SC 29634-0735, [email protected] (email).

Topic Area 1: KNOW9

1. Were you aware before receiving this survey that you are visiting Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (NRA), which is part of the U.S. National Park System? (Please check one)

 Yes

 No

Topic Area 1: VISITHIS3

2. Have you visited Delaware Water Gap NRA more than once in the last five years? (Please check one)

 Yes → including this visit, how many times have you visited Delaware Water Gap NRA in the last five years? ________________

 No → Go to next question.

Topic Area 3: TRIPC8

3. On this visit, how long did you stay at Delaware Water Gap NRA? 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

Topic Area 5: CROWD18 (variation)

4. Have you ever not been able to, or chosen not to visit Delaware Water Gap NRA because it was too crowded? (Please check ‘yes’ or ‘no’. If yes, specify how many times and if you were trying to visit a specific site)

 Yes → How many times? ____________

What specific site(s) were you trying to visit? ___________________________________

 No → Go to next question.

Topic Area 6: EVALSERV2 AND 3

5. a. What did you like most about your visit to Delaware Water Gap NRA? _______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

b. What did you like least about your visit to Delaware Water Gap NRA?

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

c. What about Delaware Water Gap NRA makes it unique and special to you?

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Topic Area 3: ACT3

6. Please check which of the following activities you participated in while visiting Delaware Water Gap NRA on this trip. Then please indicate how important each activity was to your visit. If you did not participate in an activity then leave that line blank.

	Check if you participate in this activity		How important was this activity to your visit?
			Not at all important	Somewhat important	Very Important
Attending ranger programs		→			
Bicycling		→			
Bird watching/nature study		→			
Motorboating		→			
Camping		→			
Canoeing/paddling with canoe liveries		→			
Canoeing/paddling with private canoes/kayaks		→			
Fishing		→			
Hiking/walking		→			
Hunting		→			
Picnicking		→			
Swimming		→			
Scenic driving		→			
Viewing scenery/river views/waterfalls		→			
Visiting historic sites		→			
Other (please specify): ______________________________________________		→			

Topic Area 3: ITIN7

7. Please check which of the following sites you visited while at Delaware Water Gap NRA on this trip. If you did not visit a site then leave that line blank. A map is available from the person who gave you this survey to help you locate the sites you visited.

	Check if you visited this site			Check if you visited this site
Milford Beach			Smithfield Beach	
Turtle Beach			Bushkill Access	
Dingmans Boat Launch			Poxono Access	
Pocono Environmental Education Center			Hialeah Picnic Area	
Dingmans Falls/Visitor Center			Kittattiny Point/Visitor Center	
Bushkill Visitor Center			Overlooks (Resort Point, Point of Gap, Arrow Island)	
Park Headquarters			Raymondskill Falls	
Van Campens Glen Recreation Site			Watergate Recreation Site	
Dingmans Campground			Childs Park Recreation Site	
Valley View Campground			Riversbend Campground	
Mohican Outdoor Center			Millbrook Village	
Peters Valley School of Craft			Other (please specify): _________________________________________

Topic Area 3: ACT2

8. What was the primary reason for your visit to Delaware Water Gap NRA today?

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Topic Area 6: OPMGMT7

9. Please indicate the extent that the following issues were problems for you at Delaware Water Gap NRA. (Check one box for each issue, or indicate that you don’t know.)

	Not a Problem	Small Problem	Big Problem	Don’t Know
Crowds				DK 
Graffiti				DK 
Human waste				DK 
Litter				DK 
Other recreational users interfering with what you want to do			
Types of recreation uses that should not be allowed				DK 
Visitors not following rules or behaving badly				DK 
Power-lines				DK 
Unnecessary signs				DK 
Human-caused noise				DK 
Condition of trails				DK 
Condition of facilities				DK 
Condition of historic structures				DK 
Condition of park roads				DK 
Adequate information about the park				DK 
Adequate trails				DK 
Adequate designated swimming areas				DK 
Adequate picnic areas				DK 
Adequate river access for boats/canoes				DK 
Adequate river-accessed camping				DK 
Adequate car-accessed camping				DK 
Adequate restrooms				DK 
Adequate signs for direction-finding				DK 
Adequate parking				DK 
Adequate handicap accessibility				DK 
Adequate opportunities to experience historic or cultural sites				DK 
Adequate educational or interpretive programs				DK 
A view of the night sky and stars that is impacted by lights				DK 
Environmental impacts caused by other visitors				DK 
Loss of scenery or scenic value				DK 
Availability of rangers and park staff				DK 
Helpfulness of rangers and park staff				DK 
Safety conditions in the park				DK 
Traffic on roads				DK 
Closures for construction or repair				DK 

Topic Area 6: OPMGMT12

10. Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with each of the following statements. (Check one box for each statement, or indicate that you don’t know.)

	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree	Don’t Know
Visitors and their use of the park should be managed more						DK 
Visitors and their use of the park should be managed less						DK 
Changes in the management of Kittatinny Point have improved the site						DK 
Laws and rules are easily found and understood						DK 
Laws and rules in the park should be enforced more						DK 
Laws and rules in the park should be enforced less						DK 
Fees charged at several developed facilities are appropriate						DK 
If needed by the park, fees could be charged at additional developed facilities						DK 
Where necessary, limits should be placed on the number of people who can use a specific place for recreation at any one time						DK 
Where necessary, a permit or reservation systems should be used to better manage visitor use						DK 

Topic Area 6: OPMGMT1(variation)

11. If you could ask the National Park Service to change some things about the way they manage Delaware Water Gap NRA, what would you ask them to do?

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Topic Area 6: EVALSERV27

12. Please rate the quality of the following items during this visit to Delaware Water Gap NRA. (Check one box for each statement.)

	Very Poor	Poor	Average	Good	Very Good
Overall quality of visitor services in the park					
Overall quality of the facilities in the park					
Overall quality of recreational opportunities in the park					
Overall quality of your visit in the park					

Topic Area 5: CROWD1

13. How crowded did you feel while at the following locations at Delaware Water Gap NRA? (Circle one number for each location, or indicate that it was not applicable to your visit.)

	Not at all Crowded	Slightly Crowded	Moderately Crowded	Very Crowded	Extremely Crowded	Not Applicable
On trails	1	2	3	4	5	N/A
At the swimming area	1	2	3	4	5	N/A
At the picnic area	1	2	3	4	5	N/A
At a develop campground campsite	1	2	3	4	5	N/A
At a rustic river-side campsite	1	2	3	4	5	N/A
While boating	1	2	3	4	5	N/A
At waterfalls	1	2	3	4	5	N/A
During your entire visit	1	2	3	4	5	N/A

Topic Area 1: RES3

14. Do you live in the United States? (Please check one and fill in the appropriate blank.)

 Yes (What is your zip code? ____________)

 No (What country do you live in? __________________________________)

The Questions in the next section will be used for three different samples in this collection. The following headers are used to indicate the particular survey version:

1. RIVER USERS - Q 15-20

2. TRAIL USERS – Q 15-17

3. FRONT COUNTRY USERS – Q 15-18

. .

1 RIVER BASED VISITOR SURVEY

Topic Area 3: TRANS1

15. On this visit, which type(s) of watercraft did you and your personal group use? (check all that apply)

 None → Skip to next question.  Canoe  Kayak  Raft  Boat

 Tube  Other (please specify): __________________________________

Topic Area 3: ACT10

16. Were you using the river with a paid guide, group or canoe livery/outfitter? (Please check one)

 Yes

 No

Topic Area 6: EVALSERV2 AND 3

17. a. What about the Delaware River or using the river added most to your enjoyment?

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

b. What about the Delaware River or using the river detracted most from your enjoyment?

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Topic Area 6: OPMGMT7

18. Please indicate the extent that the following issues were problems for you while using the Delaware River. (Check one box for each issue, or indicate that you don’t know)

	Not a Problem	Small Problem	Big Problem	Don’t Know
Too many other boaters				DK 
Large groups boating				DK 
Too many other river campers				DK 
Finding a place to camp on the river				DK 
Adequate facilities/amenities at campsites (e.g., restrooms, lantern hooks, etc.)				DK 
Informal (visitor-created) campsites and fire rings				DK 
Vegetation loss along the river due to visitors				DK 
Erosion along the river due to visitors				DK 
The actions or behaviors of other boaters				DK 
Adequate information about river conditions				DK 
Adequate number of boat ramps and put-ins				DK 
Condition or maintenance of boat ramps and put-ins				DK 
Boating safety on the river				DK 
Litter along the river				DK 
Adequate information and signs at the river access points				DK 
Other (please specify) ______________________________________				DK 

Topic Area 3: TRIPC33 (variation)

19. Have you ever camped along the river at Delaware Water Gap NRA? (Please check one)

 Yes → Go to next question.

 No → Thank you for completing the survey, please return it to the person who gave it to you.

Topic Area 6: OPMGMT12

20. These questions are about river camping along the Delaware River at Delaware Water Gap NRA. Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with each of the following statements. (Check one box for each statement, or indicate that you don’t know)

	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree	Don’t Know
Allowing river camping for only one night per location helps to better manage it						DK 
Allowing river camping only by boaters on trips where the distance is too great to be traveled in one day helps to better manage it						DK 
Willing to pay a $15 per night for a river campsite if it was used to improve visitor service in this park						DK 
A reservation system should be used to better manage river camping						DK 
If storms/floods destroy river campsites it is ok to move these campsites farther away from the side of the river						DK 
If storms/floods destroy river campsites it is ok to not replace these campsites and have fewer campsites						DK 

2. TRAIl BASED user SURVEY

Topic Area 6: EVALSERV2 AND 3

15. a. What about the trails or hiking on them added most to your enjoyment?

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

b. What about the trails or hiking on them detracted most from your enjoyment?

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Topic Area 6: OPMGMT7

15. Please indicate the extent that the following issues were problems for you while using the trails. (Check one box for each issue, or indicate that you don’t know.)

	Not a Problem	Small Problem	Big Problem	Don’t Know
Too many other hikers				DK 
Adequate information and signs at the trailhead				DK 
Adequate information about trails before arriving at the trailhead				DK 
Finding the trailhead				DK 
Adequate signs marking the trail route				DK 
Parking at the trailhead				DK 
The actions or behaviors of other hikers				DK 
Trail surface quality (too deeply eroded, muddy, rough, uneven, too wide, too narrow)				DK 
Litter on the trail				DK 
Informal (visitor-created) trails				DK 
Trails that go to the places I want to go				DK 
Trails too difficult (too many hills/too steep)				DK 
Other (please specify): ______________________________________				DK 

Topic Area 6: OPMGMT12

15. Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with each of the following statements. (Check one box for each statement, or indicate that you don’t know.)

	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree	Don’t Know
Where necessary to better manage trails, hikers should be asked to sign-in at trailheads						DK 
To improve the experience, a limit should be placed on the maximum size of groups that are allowed to hike together						DK 
It is appropriate to charge a parking fee at trailheads if it is used to improve visitor services						DK 
Where necessary to better manage trails, a limit should be placed on the number of people who can use certain trails at one time						DK 
A permit system should be used to better manage hiking on trails						DK 

3. FRONT COUNTRY USER SURVEY

Topic Area 6: EVALSERV2 AND 3

15. a. What about the developed site you are at now added most to your enjoyment?

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

b. What about the developed site you are at now detracted most from your enjoyment?

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Topic Area 6: OPMGMT7

15. Please indicate the extent that the following issues were problems for you while using the developed site you are at now. (check one box for each issue, or indicate that you don’t know.)

	Not a Problem	Small Problem	Big Problem	Don’t Know
Too many other people				DK 
Large groups of people				DK 
Information available about this site (e.g., features, rules, safety, etc.)				DK 
Litter				DK 
Dogs and other pets				DK 
Finding a place to picnic				DK 
Finding a place to take pictures				DK 
Informal (visitor-created) trails				DK 
Vegetation loss due to visitors				DK 
Erosion along the water due to visitors				DK 
The actions or behaviors of other people				DK 
Visitor centers and what is offered there				DK 
Adequate information about this site				DK 
Swimming safety on the river				DK 
Adequate places to swim or access the water				DK 
Trails that go to the places I want to go				DK 
Trails too difficult (too many hills/too steep)				DK 
The maintenance of this site				DK 
Other (please specify) ______________________________________				DK 

Topic Area 6: OPMGMT12

15. What services and facilities are needed but not provided at the developed site you are at now? _______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Topic Area 6: OPMGMT12

15. Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with each of the following statements. (check one box for each statement, or indicate that you don’t know.)

	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree	Don’t Know
The services provided by the park at this site are adequate						DK 
The facilities provided by the park at this site are adequate						DK 
It is appropriate to expand or increase the fees charged at this site if it is used to improve visitor service in this park						DK 
To improve the experience, a limit should be placed on the maximum size of groups that can use this site without getting a special permit						DK 
To improve the experience, parking availability should be used to limit the number of people who can use this site at one time						DK 
To improve the experience, other similar nearby sites should be strongly recommend if it is too crowded at this place						DK 
If it becomes too crowded for park staff to keep visitors safe then people should be stopped from entering this site						DK 

12