Research to guide trail management at Acadia National Park, Maine

Abstract

Acadia National Park, Maine, is the tenth most-visited national park in the United States. Managers face the challenge of protecting the park's trail system from damage while maintaining a high quality recreation experience. For this study, an initial phase of research was conducted to identify potential indicators of quality for trail resources and the visitor experience. Trail impacts, crowding, and type and level of trail development were identified as important indicators of quality. A second phase of research focused on formulating standards for each of these indicators. Findings identified the resource and trail conditions that respondents prefer, find minimally acceptable, think the National Park Service should allow, and find so unacceptable that they would no longer hike the trails in the park. Responses from hikers on high- and low-use trails were compared. Overall, visitors to Acadia report that they find the trails in good condition and that they are receiving a relatively high quality recreation experience.

Parent Publication

• Proceedings of the 2008 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium

Citation

Goonan, Kelly; Manning, Robert; Valliere, William. 2009. Research to guide trail management at Acadia National Park, Maine. In: Klenosky, David B.; Fisher, Cherie LeBlanc, eds. Proceedings of the 2008 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium; 2008 March 30 - April 1; Bolton Landing, NY. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-42. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 266-274.