Understanding Transportation-related Effects on Visitor Experience Quality in Mount Rainier and Denali National Parks

OMB Control Number: 1024-0224
Current Expiration Date: 6/30/2011

Instrument C – Transportation Effects on Auto
Touring Experience, Park Roads – MORA
2011

ID: ________

Location:_______________________

Date: ______________

Time:___________AM/PM

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A. Trip Description

1.

Including yourself, how many people are in your personal group today? [Topic Area 1. GR3]
____________ Number of people

2.

Are there any children under the age of 16 in your group today? (Check one.)
[Topic Area 1. VARIATION GR3]
Yes (__________ Number of children)
No

3.

At which location did you enter this part of Mount Rainier National Park today?
(Check one.) [Topic Area 3. TRIPC2]
Nisqually Entrance Station
Stevens Canyon Entrance Station
Don’t know/Not sure

4.

Approximately what time did you enter at the location you listed in Question 3?
[Topic Area 3. VARIATION TRIPC4]
Approximate time entered:_____________AM/PM or Don’t know/Not sure

5.

Which of the following activities have you or do you plan to do during this visit to
Mount Rainier National Park? (Check all that apply.)
[Topic Area 3. VARIATION ACT18]
Day hike
Bicycle
Picnic
Drive to view scenery
View wildflowers
View wildlife
Take photographs
Visit a visitor center
Play in the snow
Backpack
Mountaineer/climb
Attend a park service naturalist program
Tour Longmire Museum
Camp overnight in a campground
Stay overnight at Longmire Inn or Paradise Lodge
Shop for souvenirs
Eat at one of the eating establishments within the park
Other (Please specify:____________________________)

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6.

Which of the activities listed in Question 5 would you consider to be your primary
activity during this visit? [Topic Area 3. ACT23]
_______________________ Primary activity

7.

Which of the following locations have you or do you plan to visit during this trip to
Mount Rainier National Park? (Check all that apply.) [Topic Area 3. ACT19]
Westside Road
Longmire
Comet Falls
Cougar Rock
Ricksecker Point
Paradise area
Ohanapecosh
Tipsoo Lake
White River
Box Canyon
Sunrise area
Carbon River area
Mowich Lake area
Other (Please specify:____________________________)

8.

Which of the following description best fits your group during this visit to Mount
Rainier National Park? (Check one.) [Topic Area 2. VARIATION TPLAN4]
We had not determined any specific destinations to visit before entering the park
Before entering the park we had decided on ONE destination as the focus of our visit
( _______________________ Name of destination)
Before entering the park we had decided on multiple destinations, all of which are
important to our visit
( _______________________ Name of destination)
( _______________________ Name of destination)
( _______________________ Name of destination)
( _______________________ Name of destination)
( _______________________ Name of destination)

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9.

Prior to arriving in the park, which of the following sources of information did you
use to plan this visit to Mount Rainier National Park? (Check all that apply.)
[Topic Area 2. TPLAN11]
Received no prior information
Knowledge from previous visit(s)
Family/friends/word of mouth
Travel guide/Tour book
Convention/Visitor Bureau
Radio/Television
Newspaper/Magazine article
Hotel/Motel
National Park website (www.nps.gov/mora)
Other website (Please specify):__________________________________
Local business (Please specify):____________________________
Other (Please specify):_________________________________________

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B. The Visitor Experience

10.

How important to you was each of the following reasons for taking this trip to
Mount Rainier National Park? (Check one box for each item.)
[Topic Area 4. VARIATION PREF1]
Extremely
Very
Moderately Slightly
Not
important important important important important

Enjoying scenic
views/natural scenery

Spending time with
family/friends

Experiencing sounds of
nature and natural quiet

Enjoying clean air

Learning about natural
resources of the park (e.g.,
glaciers, volcanoes, plants,
wildlife, ecology)

Learning about park history

Getting physical exercise

Experiencing a sense of
connection with nature

Taking a break from the
“daily routine”

11.

What have you most enjoyed about your visit to Mount Rainier National Park
today? (Please tell us up to three things you enjoyed most.) [Topic Area 6. EVALSERV25]
a.________________________________________________________________
b.________________________________________________________________
c.________________________________________________________________

12.

What have you least enjoyed about your visit to Mount Rainier National Park
today? (Please tell us up to three things you enjoyed least.) [Topic Area 6. EVALSERV24]
a.________________________________________________________________
b.________________________________________________________________
c.________________________________________________________________

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13.

If you could ask the National Park Service to change some things about the way they
manage this area of the park, what would you ask them to do?
[Topic Area 6. VARIATION EVALSERV7]
(Please tell us up to three things you would ask to be changed.)
a.________________________________________________________________
b.________________________________________________________________
c.________________________________________________________________

14. A. We would like to know how acceptable you would find various traffic conditions
while driving on the park road. To help judge this, imagine that you are traveling
on the park road, making your way up the mountain to Paradise and rate how
acceptable the level of traffic depicted in each of the photographs in the binder
would be. (Circle one number for each photograph.) [Topic Area 5. VARIATION VERP1]
Very
Acceptable

Very
Unacceptable
Photo 1…

-4

-3

-2

-1

0

+1

+2

+3

+4

Photo 2…

-4

-3

-2

-1

0

+1

+2

+3

+4

Photo 3…

-4

-3

-2

-1

0

+1

+2

+3

+4

Photo 4…

-4

-3

-2

-1

0

+1

+2

+3

+4

Photo 5…

-4

-3

-2

-1

0

+1

+2

+3

+4

Photo 6…

-4

-3

-2

-1

0

+1

+2

+3

+4

B. Which photograph shows the level of vehicle traffic you would prefer to see?
[Topic Area 5. VARIATION VERP2]
Photo number: _____

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C. Which photograph shows the maximum amount of vehicle traffic the National Park
Service should allow? In other words, at what point should the number of visitors
driving on the park road be limited? (Record a photo number or check one of the
boxes.) [Topic Area 5. VARIATION VERP3]
Photo number: _____
OR
‰ None of the photographs show a high enough level of vehicle traffic to limit the
number of visitors driving on the park road.
OR
‰ The number of visitors driving on the park road should not be limited.

D. Which photograph looks most like the traffic conditions you have experienced while
driving on the park road today? (Record a photo number or check the box.)
[Topic Area 5. VARIATION VERP4]
Photo number: _____
OR
‰ Don’t know/Not sure

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15. A. We would like to know how acceptable you would find various traffic conditions
while driving on the park road. To help judge this, imagine that you are traveling
on the park road, making your way up the mountain to Paradise and indicate how
acceptable each of the following traffic scenarios would be. (Circle one number for
each scenario.) [Topic Area 5. VARIATION VERP1]
Very
Traffic conditions are…
Unacceptable
Free-flowing, with few other
-4
-3
A
vehicles.
Mostly free-flowing, with
brief periods when you must
-4
-3
B
slow down due to the presence
of other vehicles.
Steady traffic flow, but your
-4
-3
C speeds are slowed by other
vehicles about half the time.
Variable traffic flow, where
-4
-3
D you must often slow and
return to desired speeds.
Stop and start traffic flow,
-4
-3
E
with frequent brief stoppages.

Very
Acceptable
-2

-1

0

+1

+2

+3

+4

-2

-1

0

+1

+2

+3

+4

-2

-1

0

+1

+2

+3

+4

-2

-1

0

+1

+2

+3

+4

-2

-1

0

+1

+2

+3

+4

B. Which of the traffic descriptions in Question 15A describes the maximum amount of
vehicle traffic the National Park Service should allow? In other words, at what point
should the number of visitors driving on the park road be limited?
[Topic Area 5. VARIATION VERP2]
Max. traffic congestion the NPS should allow:_____ (Enter a letter from Question 15A)
OR
‰ None of the traffic conditions describe a high enough level of traffic congestion to
limit the number of visitors driving on the park road.
OR
‰ The number of visitors driving on the park road should not be limited.

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C. Which of the traffic descriptions in Question 15A is most like the traffic conditions
you have experienced while driving on the park road today? [Topic Area 5. VARIATION
VERP4]
Traffic description most like today:_____ (Enter a letter from Question 15A)
OR
‰ Don’t know/Not sure

16.

Please rate the importance of traffic conditions to your overall enjoyment of Mount
Rainier National Park? (Check one.) [Topic Area 4. VARIATION PREF2]

Not important
Slightly important
Moderately important
Very important
Extremely important

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17.

How much of a problem have each of the following items been for you during your
visit today? (Check one box for each item.) [Topic Area 6. VARIATION OPMGMT2]
Not a
Problem

Small
Problem

Big
Problem

Too many bicycles on the road.

Difficulty finding a parking place at scenic
overlooks.

Difficulty finding a parking place at park
destinations (e.g., Longmire, Paradise).

People walking on, across, or along the road.

Too many people at scenic overlooks.

Not enough park orientation information.

Not enough signs with directions to park
destinations.

Traffic delays at the park entrance station.

Cars parked illegally (on road shoulders, in “no
parking” areas).
Road traffic noise that interferes with enjoyment
of natural sounds and quiet

Too many cars on the road.
Too many large vehicles (e.g., buses, campers)
on the road.

18.

How much of a problem do you feel traffic congestion is at different locations in
Mount Rainier National Park? (Check one box for each item.)
[Topic Area 6. VARIATION OPMGMT2]
Not a
Problem

Small
Problem

Big
Problem

At the park entrance/exit.

Driving on park roads.

In parking areas at primary destinations (e.g.,
Paradise, Longmire).
At scenic overlooks.

Location

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C. Background Information

19.

What is your gender? (Check one.) [Topic Area 1. GEND2]
Male
Female

20.

In what year were you born? [Topic Area 1. AGE1]
Year born:___________

21.

Do you live in the United States? (Check one.) [Topic Area 1. RES1]
Yes (What is your zip code? __________)
No (What country do you live in? ______________________________)

22.

What is the highest level of formal education you have completed?
[Topic Area 1. VARIATION ED2]
(Check one.)
Some high school
High school graduate or GED
Some college, business or trade school
College, business or trade school graduate
Some graduate school
Master’s, doctoral or professional degree

23.

Are you Hispanic or Latino? (Check one.) [Topic Area 1. RACE/ETH2]
Yes
No

24.

What is your race? (Check all that apply.) [Topic Area 1. RACE/ETH3]
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
White

Thank you for your help with this survey! Please return it to the surveyor.

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PRIVACY ACT and PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT Statement: 16 U.S.C. 1a-7 authorizes collection of
this information. This information will be used by park managers to better serve the public. Response to this
request is voluntary. No action may be taken against you for refusing to supply the information requested. The
permanent data will be anonymous. 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 per response. Direct comments
regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this form to: Barbara Samora, Natural Resource Manager,
Mount Rainier National Park, 55210 238th Avenue East, Ashford, WA 98304, Barbara_Samora@nps.gov.

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