Yellowstone Summer Visitor Use Survey: Geofencing and On-site Surveys

OMB CONTROL NUMBER: 1024-0224

Yellowstone Visitor Survey

GeoFenced ATTRACTION survey

Tablet opening script

“Hello, I am conducting a study for Yellowstone National Park on visitor experiences throughout their time in the park. We would like for you to use this tablet for today only. As you drive throughout the park, the tablet will automatically prompt you to respond to a few questions about your experience. The tablet is also equipped with a GPS that will track your movement through the park. We are doing this because we are interested in the most popular routes taken to get to certain destinations in the park and to also understand which areas in the park people visit the most and what their experiences are when they are there. This information is completely anonymous and will never be connected to you personally. The number of questions you answer is dependent on the route you take. It should take you no more than 60, 40 or 15 minutes depending on the route you take today to complete all of the questions you will be prompted to answer throughout the day. This is not intended to be intrusive, instead it is intended to provide park managers a better understanding of where management efforts should be focused to improve the visitor experience. At the end of the day, you can return the tablet at one of the five visitor center locations (Old Faithful, Mammoth, Fishing Bridge, Canyon Village, or Grant Village) or at the West Entrance (nearest to West Yellowstone, MT) or North Entrance (nearest to Gardiner, MT) there will be a volunteer there to receive it or a place designated where you can safely leave it.

 If the visitor says YES: [continue by reading the following statement regarding the Paperwork Reduction and Privacy Act.]

 If NO - interviewer will thank the visitor and ask non-response bias question. [The surveyor will ask the four non-response bias questions below and record observable characteristics (gender, age category, children in group) on the log sheet]

1. “What language would you prefer to use in the park?”

2. “How many adults, 18 years and older, are in your group?”

3. “How many children (under 18 years) are in your group?”

4. “Over the past three years, how many visits have you made to Yellowstone National Park?”

PAPERWORK REDUCTION and PRIVACY ACT STATEMENT: The Paperwork Reduction Act requires us to tell you why we are collecting this information, how we will use it, and whether or not you have to respond. We are authorized by the National Park Service Protection Interpretation and research in System (54 USC §100702) to collect this information. The routine uses of this information will be for the benefit of NPS Managers and Planning staff in Yellowstone National Park (YELL) in future initiatives related to the visitor use and resource management within the site. The data collected will be summarized to evaluate visitor uses and expectations during their visit at YELL. Your responses to this collection are completely voluntary and will remain anonymous. You can end the process at any time and will not be penalized in any way for choosing to do so. All contact information collected for the purpose of the follow-up survey will be destroyed at the end of the collection period and no personal identifiable records will be maintained or stored for any purposes. Data collected will only be reported in aggregates and no individually identifiable responses will be reported. A Federal agency may not conduct or sponsor, and you are not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB Control Number (1024-0224). We estimate that it will take about 6 minutes to complete this on-site questionnaire. You may send comments concerning the burden estimates or any aspect of this information collection to: Dr. Jake Jorgenson, Senior Research Analyst, RRC Associates, 4770 Baseline Road, Ste 360, Boulder, CO 80303; 303-396-1625 (phone) jake@rrcassociates.com(email); or Phadrea Ponds NPS Information Collection Coordinator at pponds@nps.gov (email).

PART 1:

DEMOGRAPHICS AND CHARACTERISTICS

Topic Area 1: RES2, LANG1, ECON10

1. What language would you prefer to use in the park?

	English		German
	Mandarin		Another language
	Spanish

2. How many adults, 18 years and older, are in your group? _____________

3. How many children (under 18 years) are in your group?_______________

4. What is the country of your residence and the zip code of your home address (If from U.S.)?

a) Country: ________________

b) Zip Code (If U.S.): _______________

Topic Area 4: DEST15

5. On this visit to Yellowstone National Park, which entrance did you use to enter the park today when you were asked to complete this survey?

• West Entrance (nearest to West Yellowstone, MT)

• North Entrance (nearest to Gardiner, MT)

• South Entrance (nearest to Jackson, WY)

• East Entrance (nearest to Cody, WY)

• Northeast Entrance (nearest to Cooke City, MT)

Topic Area 4: DEST7 (variation)

6. Not including today, how many days have you spent visiting Yellowstone National Park on this trip?

1. ____________________Number of days

Topic Area 2: ACCOM4

7. Please list the number of additional days you and your personal group plan to stay in Yellowstone National Park and in the area (away from your home if local resident).

Number of additional days inside the park

Number of additional days in the area (within 60 miles (100 km) outside the park)

Topic Area 4: VISHIS1 and VISHIS3

8. Are you a first time visitor to Yellowstone National Park?

   Yes

   No

9. If no, over the past three years how many visits have you made to Yellowstone National Park?

________Number of visits (including this one)

Topic Area 3: TRANSMODE6, TRANSMODE3 (variation)

10. Which of the following forms of transportation did you personally use to enter Yellowstone National Park today? (Select only one response)

Car, truck, or SUV Recreational vehicle or motorhome Tour bus or tour van

Motorcycle Bicycle Walk/hike

11. Did you fly on any part of your trip to reach Yellowstone National Park?

• Yes (Which airport did you fly into? _____________)

• No

Topic Area 5: RECEXP12

12. For each item below, please indicate how important the experience is to you on your visit to the park.

	Not at all important	Somewhat important	Moderately important	Very Important	Extremely Important
To experience solitude	1	2	3	4	5
To be close to nature	1	2	3	4	5
To be near considerate people	1	2	3	4	5
To see wildlife	1	2	3	4	5
To get away from noise/experience natural sounds	1	2	3	4	5
To get away from crowds of people	1	2	3	4	5
To view scenery	1	2	3	4	5
To see geysers and thermal features	1	2	3	4	5
To experience a wild place	1	2	3	4	5
To be where things are fairly safe	1	2	3	4	5

Topic Area 4: PARKING5, PARKING6, TRAFFIC10, PARKING10, PARKING3 (Variation), TRANSERV10

13. When you planned this trip to Yellowstone, did you think about the possibility that it might be difficult to find parking near park attractions? (Select one response)

• Yes (Continue to Q14)

• No (Skip to Q15)

14. ((If Yes for Q13) If you thought about the possibility that it might be difficult to find parking here when you planned this trip to Yellowstone, how did it affect your trip plans? (Check all that apply)

• It did not affect my plans

• I visited at at time of day I thought it would be less crowded

• I visited on a day of the week I thought it would be less crowded

• I avoided places here I thought would be crowded today

• Other (Please specify): ____________________________

15. Approximately how many minutes did you and your personal group have to wait in traffic at the entrance station of Yellowstone?

Less than 5 minutes 5-10 minutes 11-20 minutes 21-30 minutes

30-44 minutes 46-60 minutes More than 1 hour

16. How acceptable is the amount of time you spent waiting in traffic to enter Yellowstone National Park?

Not at all acceptable	Slightly acceptable	Moderately acceptable	Very acceptable	Extremely acceptable
1	2	3	4	5

17. How crowded did you feel entering Yellowstone National Park? (Select one number)

Not at all crowded	Slightly crowded	Moderately crowded	Very crowded	Extremely crowded
1	2	3	4	5

Topic Area 1: RES12, AGE1, EDUC1, GEND1, RACE/ETH2, GROUP4, RES3

18. What year were you born? ______________

19. What is the highest level of formal education you have completed? (Select one response)

Less than high school High school graduate Vocational/trade school certificate Some college

Two-year college degree Bachelor’s degree Graduate Degree Ph.D., M.D., J.D., or equivalent.

20. What is your gender?

Female

Male

21. Are you Hispanic or Latino?

    Yes

    No

22. Which of these categories best indicates your race? Answer only for yourself. (Check all that apply)

• American Indian or Alaska Native

• Asian

• Black or African American

• Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

• White

23. Which of the following best describes the group you are traveling with? (Select one response)

• Myself (alone)

• Myself with family (including spouse/partner and/or other family members)

• Myself with family and friends

• Myself with friends

• Commercial guided tour group

• Outfitter/guide

• Club/organization/school

• Other organized group (e.g. business group, scout group, etc.)

• Other

24. Do you live or have second home in the local area within 60 miles of Yellowstone National Park?

Yes

No

Topic Area 10: ECON12

25. Which category best represents your annual household income? (Select one response)

Less than $25,000 $25,000 to $49,999 $50,000 to $74,999 $75,000 to $99,999

$100,000 - $149,999 $150,000 - $199,999 $200,000 or more

Note to reviewers: In each question where “[GEOFENCE LOCATION]” is listed, the name of the location referenced will be automatically inserted on the tablet. Respondents will first be asked whether they stopped at the location as it is important to note whether they were just passing through or actively stopping to experience the location. The survey will be delivered to respondents as they leave the geofence location.

PART 2:

GEOFENCING ATTRACTIONS SURVEY

Thank you for agreeing to participate in our study about Yellowstone National Park visitor experiences. Please review the instructions provided on the tablet for using and navigating the application, and place the tablet in a safe location while you’re traveling. Depending on your route in Yellowstone, the surveys will take you between 15-60 minutes. Longer routes throughout the park will take 60 minutes, medium distance routes 40 minutes, and short routes will take 15 minutes. You will be prompted to complete an opening survey about your trip characteristics and demographics after completing the initial setup. Please place the tablet in a safe location while you are traveling. If you are driving, do not use the tablet until you reach a stopped, safe, and secure location.

Topic Area 4: DEST5 (Variation), DEST4

1. Did you stop to visit [GEOFENCE LOCATION] during your Yellowstone National Park trip?

• Yes (Skip to Q3)

• No, and I did not plan to stop. (Finish survey)

• No, but I wanted to stop and couldn’t. (Proceed to Q2 and then skip to Q8)

2. What prevented you from visiting this site? (Check all that apply)

Not enough time Could not find a place to park Travel times inside the park greater than expected Travel times outside the park greater than expected Trail closure Road closure

Traffic at entrance gates Traffic at the site Bad weather Inadequate display of road/map signs Inadequate display of safety information Unsafe road Other (please specify) ________________________

Topic Area 3: TRAFFIC9, PARKING3, PARKING11

3. Approximately how much time did you spend in waiting in traffic to park at [GEOFENCE LOCATION]?

   I have not been delayed. Less than 5 minutes 5-10 minutes 11-20 minutes

   21-30 minutes 31-44 minutes 45-60 minutes More than 1 hour

4. How acceptable was the amount of time you spent looking for parking?

Not at all acceptable	Slightly acceptable	Moderately acceptable	Very acceptable	Extremely acceptable
1	2	3	4	5

5. Where did you park at this attraction / area in Yellowstone National Park?

• Parking lot

• On side of the road

• In a pull-out further away and walked

Topic Area 6: CROWD19, CROWD3

6. How crowded did you feel in [GEOFENCE LOCATION] in Yellowstone NP today?

Not at all crowded	Slightly crowded	Moderately crowded	Very crowded	Extremely crowded
1	2	3	4	5

7. How did the number of people you encountered at [GEOFENCE LOCATION] location compare to what you expected?

• A lot less than what I expected

• A little less than what I expected

• About what I expected

• A little more than what I expected

• A lot more than I expected

• I did not have any expectations

Topic Area 3 and 9: LNT20 and TRAFFIC3

8. Please select one number for each statement that best describes how problematic each of the following issues was for you at [GEOFENCE LOCATION].

	Not a problem	Small problem	Moderate problem	Big problem
Availability of parking	1	2	3	4
People walking on, across, or along the road	1	2	3	4
Too many people	1	2	3	4
Traffic congestion	1	2	3	4
Other people acting unsafe around thermal features	1	2	3	4
Other people acting unsafe around wildlife	1	2	3	4
Feeling safe on boardwalks around other people	1	2	3	4
Availability of restrooms	1	2	3	4
Cleanliness of restrooms	1	2	3	4

Topic Area 7: EVALSERV1, EVALSERV14

9. Other than weather conditions, how would you rate your experience right now?

• Very poor

• Poor

• Fair

• Good

• Excellent

10. Please share any reasons for why you provided the above rating for your Yellowstone experience:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Thank you for this information. The tablet will notify you if you pass through another area of interest to continue sharing your experiences. If you are the driver of the vehicle, do not use the tablet until you reach a stopped, safe, and secure location.”

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