Visitor Services Project (VSP) Survey for Joshua Tree National Park (JOTE)

Social Science Program
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Visitor Services Project

Joshua Tree National Park
Visitor Study

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Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Study
OMB Control Number 1024-0224
Expiration Date:
United States Department of the Interior
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
Joshua Tree National Park
74485 National Park Drive
Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
IN REPLY
REFER TO:

Fall 2010
Dear Visitor:
Thank you for participating in this important study. We want to learn
about the expectations, opinions, and interests of visitors to Joshua
Tree National Park. This information will help us improve our
management of this park and better serve you, our visitor.
This questionnaire will be given to only a select number of visitors, so
your participation is very important! It should only take about 20 minutes
after your visit to complete.
When your visit is over, please complete the questionnaire. Seal it with
the stickers provided on the last page and drop it in any U.S. mailbox.
Results of this study will be available to the public in 2011 and will be
posted on the web at www.nps.gov/jotr and www.psu.uidaho.edu.
If you have any questions, please contact Margaret Littlejohn, NPS VSP
Director, Park Studies Unit, College of Natural Resources, P.O. Box
441139, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho 83844-1139,
phone: 208-885-7863, email: littlej@uidaho.edu.
We appreciate your help.
Sincerely,
Need electronic signature
Acting Superintendent

Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Study

DIRECTIONS
1) Please have the selected individual (at least 16 years old) complete this
questionnaire.
2) Answer the questions carefully since each question is different.
3) For questions that use circles (O), please mark your answer by filling in the
circle with black or blue ink, or a pencil with dark (e.g. #2) lead.

4) Seal it with the stickers provided.
5) Drop it in a U.S. mailbox.
Thank you!

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. Your name is requested for follow-up mailing purposes
only. When analysis of the questionnaire is completed, all name and address
files will be destroyed. Thus the permanent data will be anonymous. Please
do not put your name or that of any member of your group on the
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 20 minutes per response. Direct comments regarding the
burden estimate or any other aspect of this form to Margaret Littlejohn, NPS
Visitor Services Project, College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho,
P.O. Box 441139, Moscow, ID, 83844-1139; email: littlej@uidaho.edu.

3

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Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Study
Your Visit To Joshua Tree National Park

NOTE: In this questionnaire “personal group” is defined as anyone that you are visiting the
park with, such as spouse, family, friends, etc. This does not include the larger group
that you might be traveling with, such as school, church, scouts, or tour group.

[2. TPLAN11]
1. a) Prior to this visit, how did you and your personal group obtain information
about Joshua Tree National Park (NP)? Please mark ( ) all that apply in
column (a).

•

b) If you were to visit Joshua Tree NP in the future, how would you and your
personal group prefer to obtain information about the park? Please mark ( )
all that apply in column (b).

•

a) Prior to this visit

b) Prior to future visits

O

Did not obtain information prior to visit Î Go to part b of this question

O

Joshua Tree NP website: www.nps.gov/jotr

O

O

Social media (such as Facebook, Twitter, etc.)

O

O

Facebook

O

Twitter

O

Flickr

O

Other

O

Other websites

O

O

Friends/relatives/word of mouth

O

O

Highway signs

O

O

Inquiry to park via phone, mail, or email

O

O

Local businesses (hotels, motels, restaurants, etc.)

O

O

Maps/brochures

O

O

Newspaper/magazine articles

O

O

Other National Park Service sites/units

O

O

Previous visits

O

O

School class/program

O

O

State welcome center/visitors bureau/chamber of commerce

O

O

Television/radio programs/DVDs

O

O

Travel guides/tour books (such as AAA, etc.)

O

O

Other (Please specify below)

O

Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Study
Prior to this visit

5
Prior to future visits

c) From the sources marked in column (a), did you and your personal group
receive the type of information about the park that you needed? [2. TPLAN12]

O No
O Yes Î Go to Question 2
[2. TPLAN13]
d) If NO, what type of park information did you and your personal group need
that was not available? Please be specific.
[2. TPLAN4]
2. How did this visit to Joshua Tree NP fit into your personal group’s travel plans?
Please mark ( ) one.

•

O

Joshua Tree NP was primary destination

O

Joshua Tree NP was one of several destinations

O Joshua Tree NP was not a planned destination
[1. VARIATION KNOW11]
3. a) Prior to this visit, were you and your personal group aware of the following
issues at Joshua Tree NP? Please mark ( ) one answer for each item in
column (a).

•

b) Did you and your personal group learn or learn more (via publications, signs,
talking to park staff, etc.) about these issues during this visit to Joshua Tree
NP? Please mark ( ) one answer for each item in column (b).

•

a) Aware
prior to
visit?

b) Learned/
learned more
during visit?

Yes

No

O

O

Air pollution impacts

O

O

O

O

Damage to cryptobiotic crust (a living crust
of bacteria, algae, fungi lichen and moss
that decreases soil erosion and increases
water and nutrient retention)

O

O

O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O

O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O

O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O

O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O

Issue

Dark night sky
Desert fire ecology
Effects of climate change on the park
Off-road vehicles damaging the desert
Theft of cultural resources
Theft of natural resources
Threats to desert tortoise populations
Urban/industrial development near park

Yes

No

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Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Study

[1. VARIATION KNOW10]
4. a) Prior to this visit, did you know that Joshua Tree NP contains Congressionally
designated wilderness areas?

O

Yes
O No
O Not sure
[3. VARIATION ITIN3]
b) During this visit to Joshua Tree NP, did you visit these wilderness areas?

O Yes
O No
O Not sure
[3. TRIPC1]
5. On this trip, what was the primary reason that you and your personal group
came to the Joshua Tree NP area (within XX miles of the park)? Please mark
( ) one.
O Resident of the area (within XX miles of the park)

•

O

Visit Joshua Tree NP

O

Visit other attractions in the area

O

Visit friends/relatives at the Twentynine Palms U.S. Marine Corps base

O

Visit friends/relatives in the area (other than at the Marine Corps base)

O

Traveling through - unplanned visit

O

Business

O Other (Please specify)
[Topic area 2 – Trip/Visit Characteristics]
6. a) Prior to this visit, did you or members of your group attempt to make
reservations for campsites at Joshua Tree NP for this trip?
O

O

Yes

No

Go to Question 7

b) Were you able to make campsite reservations for this trip?

O

O

Yes

No

[3. TRIPC11]
7. On this trip, how long did you and your personal group spend visiting Joshua
Tree NP? Please list partial hours/days as ¼, ½, ¾.
Number of hours, if less than 24 hours
OR

Number of days, if 24 hours or more
[3. TRIPC2]

8.

a) At which entrance did you and your personal group first enter the park?
Please mark ( ) one.

•

O

North entrance station (Twentynine Palms)

O

Cottonwood Spring (I-10)

O

West entrance station (Joshua Tree)

O

Indian Cove

Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Study

7

O

Other (Please specify)
[3. ITIN2]
b) For this trip, please list the order (1, 2, 3, etc.) in which you and your personal
group visited the following sites in Joshua Tree NP. If you did not visit a site,
please leave that line blank. Use the map below to help you locate the sites
you visited.
Joshua Tree Visitor Center

Cholla Cactus Garden

Oasis Visitor Center

Fortynine Palms Oasis

Cottonwood Visitor Center

Lost Palms Oasis

Keys Ranch

Indian Cove

Keys View

Black Rock Canyon

Barker Dam

Lost Horse Mine

Hidden Valley

Covington Flats

Jumbo Rocks Area

Geology Tour Road

Cottonwood Spring
Other (Please specify)
Need to revise map—VSP can revise

[3. TRIPC13]
9. a) On this visit, did you and your personal group stay overnight away from home
in Joshua Tree NP or the surrounding area (within XX miles of the park)?

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Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Study

O

Yes

O

No Î Go on to Question 10

[3. TRIPC13]
b) Please list the number of nights you and your personal group stayed in and
outside the park during this visit.
Number of nights in Joshua Tree NP
Number of nights in the surrounding area
[3. TRIPC15]
c & d) In what type of lodging did you and your personal group spend the
night(s)? Please mark ( ) all that apply.
d) Outside park in surrounding area
c) In Joshua Tree NP
(Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree, Twentynine Palms)

•

n/a

Lodge, motel, cabin, rented condo/home, or bed & breakfast

O

O

RV/trailer camping

O

O

Tent camping in developed campground

O

O

Backcountry campsite

O

n/a

Personal seasonal residence

O

O

Residence of friends or relatives

O

O

Other (Please specify)
[3. ACT22]
10. On this visit, in which activities did you and your personal group participate
within Joshua Tree NP? Please mark ( ) all that apply.

•

O

Attending ranger-led programs

O

Bicycling

O

Attending field classes or other guided activities

O

Camping

O

Backpacking overnight

O

Dayhiking

O

Horseback riding

O

Picnicking

O

Visiting historical or archeological sites

O

Sightseeing

O

Bouldering (using pads and bouldering guides)

O

Visiting visitor
center(s)

O

Rock scrambling (without specialized gear or skills)

O

Stargazing/viewing night sky

O

Technical climbing (with specialized gear or skills)

O

Walking self-guided nature trails (with brochures or signs)

O

Other (Please specify)

Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Study
9
[3. ACT23]
c) Which one of the above activities was the primary activity that you and your
personal group participated in at Joshua Tree NP on this visit?
[6. EVALSERV21]
11. a) Please mark ( ) all the information services and facilities that you or your
personal group used during this visit to the Joshua Tree NP.

•

b) Next, for only those services and facilities that you or your personal group
used, please rate their importance from 1-5.
c) Finally, for only those services and facilities that you or your personal group
used, please rate their quality from 1-5.

a) Information services/facilities used
Mark ( )

•

b) If used,
how important?
1=Not important
2=Somewhat important
3=Moderately important
4=Very important
5=Extremely important

O

Assistance from visitor center staff

O

Assistance from entrance station staff

O

Assistance from roving rangers

O

Bulletin boards

O

Climbers’ coffee

O

Joshua Tree NP website:
www.nps.gov/jotr (used before or during visit)

O

Keys Ranch tour

O

Park brochure/map

O

Park newspaper: Joshua Tree Guide

O

Ranger-led programs (walks, talks, etc.)

O

Roadside exhibits

O

Sales items in visitor center
(selection, price, etc.)

O

Self-guided trail brochures

O

Self-guided trail exhibits/signs

O

Visitor center exhibits

c) If used,
what quality?
1=Very poor
2=Poor
3=Average
4=Good
5=Very good

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Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Study
[6. EVALSERV21]
12. a) Please mark ( ) the visitor services and facilities that you or your personal
group used during this visit to Joshua Tree NP.

•

b) Next, for only those services and facilities that you or your personal group
used, please rate their importance to your visit from 1-5.
c) Finally, for only those services and facilities that you or your personal group
used, please rate their quality from 1-5.

a) Visitor services/facilities used
Mark ( )

•

O

Access for disabled persons

O

Campgrounds

O

Directional road signs—outside park

O

Directional road signs—in park

O

Emergency telephone

O

Garbage disposal

O

Overlooks/pullouts

O

Park-provided water
(at campgrounds and visitor centers)

O

Paved roads

O

Picnic areas

O

Recycling

O

Restrooms

O

Trails

O

Unpaved roads

O

Cottonwood Visitor Center (overall)

O

Oasis Visitor Center (overall)

b) If used,
how important?
1=Not important
2=Somewhat important
3=Moderately important
4=Very important
5=Extremely important

c) If used,
what quality?
1=Very poor
2=Poor
3=Average
4=Good
5=Very good

Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Study
11
[6. OPNMGMT4]
13. Joshua Tree NP was established to preserve and protect outstanding geological
features and scenery while conserving natural and cultural resources, and
allowing for public enjoyment of the resources. On this visit, how important were
the following attributes/resources to you? Please mark ( ) one answer for each
attribute/resource.

•

Attribute/resource

Not
important

Somewhat Moderately
Very
important
important important

Extremely
important

Access to historical/ cultural
sites
Access to rock formations

O

O

O

O

O

O

O

O

O

O

Clean air

O

O

O

O

O

Dark, starry night skies

O

O

O

O

O

Desert plants/wildflowers

O

O

O

O

O

Natural quiet/ sounds of
nature

O

O

O

O

O

Native wildlife

O

O

O

O

O

Solitude

O

O

O

O

O

Views without development

O

O

O

O

O

[Topic area 3 – Visitor Activities and Use of Park Resources]
14. a) Did anyone in your personal group participate in rock climbing in Joshua Tree
NP on this visit or past visit(s)? Please mark ( ) one.

•

O

No, have not participated in climbing activities Î Go to Question 15

O

Yes, climbed on both this visit and past visit(s)

O

This is our first time climbing here

O

Have climbed in the past, but not on this visit

b) Where is your personal group’s preferred area to climb in Joshua Tree NP?

O

Don’t have a preferred area

OR list one
c) Has anyone in your personal group ever developed a new climbing route in
Joshua Tree NP?

O

Yes

O

No

12
Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Study
[6. EVALSERV19]:
15. a) For the questions below, please indicate from 1 to 5 how safe you and your
group felt from crime and accidents during this visit to Joshua Tree NP?
Please mark one response for each question.
How safe did you feel in Joshua Tree NP?

Safety Issue

Very
Somewhat
Unsafe
Unsafe

Neither
Safe nor
Unsafe

Somewhat
Safe

Very
Safe

Personal property—from crime

O

O

O

O

O

Personal safety—from crime

O

O

O

O

O

Personal safety—from accidents

O

O

O

O

O

b) If you marked ‘very unsafe’ or ‘somewhat unsafe’ on any of the above items,
please explain why: [6. EVALSERV20]
[6. VARIATION EVALSERV21]
16. How important are the following services to the enjoyment of your visit to Joshua
Tree National Park? Please circle one answer for each question.
Service

Not
important

Somewhat Moderately
Very
important
important important

Extremely
important

Current services
Availability of emergency
medical services

O

O

O

O

O

Availability of park employees
& volunteers

O

O

O

O

O

Availability of phones

O

O

O

O

O

Availability of search and
rescue

O

O

O

O

O

Availability of water

O

O

O

O

O

Availability of wildland
firefighting

O

O

O

O

O

Internet/WIFI at visitor
centers

O

O

O

O

O

Law enforcement presence

O

O

O

O

O

O

O

O

O

O

Future services
Shuttle system to take
visitors between major park
sites

Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Study
13
[3. TRIPC26]
17. For you and your group, please report all expenditures for the items listed below
for this visit to Joshua Tree NP and surrounding area (within XX miles of the
park). Please write “0” if no money was spent in a particular category.
a) Please list your group’s total expenditures inside Joshua Tree NP.
b) Please list your group’s total expenditures in the surrounding area outside the
park (within XX miles of the park).
NOTE: Surrounding area residents should only include expenditures that
were directly related to this visit to Joshua Tree NP.
Expenditures

Inside Joshua Tree NP

Lodges, hotels, motels, cabins, B&B, etc.

Outside park
$

Camping fees and charges

$

$

Guide fees and charges

$

$

Restaurants and bars

$

Groceries and take out food

$

Gas and oil (auto, RV, boat, etc.)

$

Other transportation expenses
(rental cars, auto repairs, taxies, but
not including airfare)

$

$

Admissions, recreation, entertainment fees
All other purchases (souvenirs, film,
books, sporting goods, clothing, etc.)

$

$

$

$

Donations

$

$

c) How many people do the above expenses cover? [3. TRIPC27]
Children (under 18 years)
Adults (18 years or over)
Please write “0” if no children were covered by the expenditures.
18. On this visit, were you and your personal group with the following types of
organized groups? Please mark ( ) one for each. [1. GR6]

•

a) Commercial guided tour group

O

Yes

O

No

b) School/educational group

O

Yes

O

No

c) Climbing group

O

Yes

O

No

d) Other group (business, church, scout, etc.)

O

Yes

O

No

e) If you were with one of these organized groups, how many people, including
yourself, were in this organized group? [1. VARIATION GR3]
Number of people in organized group

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Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Study

19. a) On this visit, which kind of personal group (not guided tour/school/climbing/
other organized group) were you with? Please mark ( ) one. [1. GR5]

•

O

Alone

O

Friends

O

Family

O

Family and friends

O

Other (Please specify)

[1. GR3]
b) On this visit, how many people were in your personal group, including
yourself?
Number of people in personal group
[1. GR4]
c) On this visit, how many vehicles did you and your personal group use to
arrive at the park? Please write a “0” if you did not arrive by vehicle.
Number of vehicles
[3. TRIPC5]
d) On this visit, how many times did you and your personal group enter the park?
Number of times
[1. AGE3]
20. For you and your personal group on this visit, please provide the following. If
you do not know the answer, please leave it blank.
c) Number of visits to

a) Current
age

b) U.S. ZIP code or
name of country
other than U.S.

Joshua Tree NP
(including this visit)
during lifetime

Yourself
Member #2
Member #3
Member #4
Member #5
Member #6
Member #7
[1. LANG2]
21. When visiting an area such as Joshua Tree NP, which language(s) do you and
most members of your personal group prefer to use for the following?
a) Speaking

O

English

O

Other language (Specify)

b) Reading
[1. GR2]

O

English

O

Other language (Specify)

Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Study
15
22. Does anyone in your personal group have a physical condition that made it
difficult to access or participate in activities or services in Joshua Tree NP?

O Yes
O No Î Go to Question 24
[1. GR2]
23. On this visit, which activities or services did the person(s) have difficulty
accessing or participating in? Please mark ( ) all that apply.

•

O

Visitor center

O

Restrooms

O

O

Trails

O

Ranger-led programs

O

Other (Please specify)

Publications

[Topic area 1 – Visitor Characteristics]
24. Some scientists have proposed that Joshua Tree National Park may lose its
Joshua trees due to the effects of global climate change in the next 100-150
years. Were you aware that Joshua trees are declining and that climate change
may be a direct cause? Please mark ( ) one.

•

O

Yes
O No
O Not sure
[Topic area 7 – Visitor Opinions on Park Management]
25. How important is the presence of healthy Joshua tree populations to the future
of Joshua Tree NP? Please mark ( ) one.

•

Not
important

Somewhat
important

Moderately
important

Very
important

Extremely
important

O

O

O

O

O

[6. OPNMGMT7]
26. If you were a manager planning for the future of Joshua Tree NP, what would
you and your personal group propose? Please be specific.

[6. OPNMGMT8]
27. Is there anything else you and your personal group would like to tell us about
your visit to Joshua Tree NP?

[6. EVALSERV1]
28. Overall, how would you and your personal group rate the quality of facilities,
services, and recreational opportunities at Joshua Tree NP during this visit?
Please mark ( ) one.

•

Very poor

Poor

Average

Good

Very good

16

Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Study

O

O

O

O

O

Thank you for your help! Please seal the questionnaire with the stickers provided
and drop it in any U.S. mailbox

Printed on recycled paper

Visitor Services Project
Park Studies Unit
College of Natural Resources
University of Idaho
P.O. Box 441139
Moscow, Idaho 83844-1139

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