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Abstract
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail (AT) is a public footpath that spans 2,160 miles of Appalachian Mountain ridgelines from Maine to Georgia. This paper describes the first comprehensive study of recreational use and users of the AT. The primary study method was a survey of visitors to the AT. The Trail was divided into 22 relatively homogeneous sections within four major geographic regions. Sampling was conducted in each of these regions during the summer and fall of 1999. This consisted of contacting randomly selected visitors and asking them to complete a mail-back questionnaire. Nearly 2000 questionnaires were completed and returned. The questionnaire addressed user characteristics, user preparedness, the quality of the visitor experience, attitudes toward alternative management practices and economic impact. This paper presents an initial analysis of the data, including visitor characteristics and perceived problems along the trail. These variables are compared across the four major geographic regions.
Parent Publication
Citation
Manning, Robert E.; Valliere, William; Bacon, Jim; Graefe, Alan; Kyle, Gerard; Hennessy, Rita. 2001. Use and users of the Appalachian Trail: a geographic study. In: Kyle, Gerard, comp., ed. 2001. Proceedings of the 2000 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium. Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-276. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station. 115-120
