Preparing for a day hike at Grand Canyon: what is useful?

Abstract

Most parks are interested in conveying hiking safety and minimum impact techniques to visitors. At Grand Canyon National Park, providing such information to more than 2000 day use hikers per day has been a longstanding concern whose effort has increased in intensity over the past decade. This study evaluates aspects of the “Heat kills, hike smart” campaign that targeted day use hikers during summer, 1997. The park’s information campaign was able to reach most day use hikers, and affected the behavior of the majority of them. Among various media sources and locations used by the park to convey safety information to day use hikers, the two most effective sources were the Park Guide distributed upon entering the park (in newspaper-style) with its banner headline claiming “Heat kills, hike smart” and posters at each trailhead with the same “heat kills” information. Day use hikers of remote backcountry trails reported the highest probability for problematic behavior (e.g., no water, became sick or injured). Minimum impact information concerning the proper disposal of toilet paper and food scraps was widely unknown.

Parent Publication

• Wilderness science in a time of change conference-Volume 4: Wilderness visitors, experiences, and visitor management; 1999 May 23-27; Missoula, MT

Citation

Stewart, William; Cole, David N.; Manning, Robert E.; Valliere, William; Taylor, Jonathan; Lee, Martha. 2000. Preparing for a day hike at Grand Canyon: what is useful?. In: Cole, David N.; McCool, Stephen F.; Borrie, William T.; O’Loughlin, Jennifer, comps. 2000. Wilderness science in a time of change conference—Volume 4: Wilderness visitors, experiences, and visitor management; 1999 May 23–27; Missoula, MT. Proceedings RMRS-P-15-VOL-4. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 221-225