Yosemite National Park Wilderness Study

OMB Control Number: 1024-0224

Expiration Date: 10/31/2021

Wilderness Character Questionnaire

NOTE TO REVIEWER: This document presents the text of the wilderness character questionnaire. The portions of the questionnaire administered in the evening (i.e., Group & Trip Characteristics, Camping Night) will be programmed into Qualtrics or similar software for administration. The portion of the questionnaire administered in the morning (i.e., Camping Morning) will be formatted onto a card for distribution in the field.

Introductory Text

NOTE TO REVIEWER: Information in the “Introductory Text” section will be presented to respondents at the beginning of questionnaire administration.

Questionnaires will be administered via an interview format (i.e., survey administrators will read question to respondents and record responses on a log form). Respondents will be provided with laminated copies of questions and response options. Interviews will be conducted in accordance with social distancing guidelines and laminated question sheets will be sanitized prior to and following each use.

Thank you for agreeing to participate in this important research study for Yosemite National Park.

Every year tens of thousands of campers have outstanding wilderness experiences in Yosemite National Park. To ensure that campers can continue to have outstanding experiences, the park periodically surveys visitors about their camping experiences.

This questionnaire asks about your group and your trip, your past wilderness experience, and your wilderness experiences on this trip. Your responses are vital to the sustained stewardship of Yosemite Wilderness.

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 Yosemite National Park (YOSE) 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 YOSE. 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).

Burden Estimate Statement: We estimate that it will take about 25 minutes [ Part 1 - 5 minutes) and Part 2 - 20 minutes (5 minutes x 4 days (average number of trip days)] to complete this on-site questionnaire. You may send comments concerning the burden estimates or any aspect of this information collection to: Nathan Reigner, Pennsylvania State University, nathanreigner@psu.edu (email); or Phadrea Ponds NPS Information Collection Clearance Officer at pponds@nps.gov (email).

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Instructions & Key Terms

This questionnaire is about your wilderness camping trip in Yosemite National Park. For the purposes of this survey, we are defining your trip based only on the nights that you spend camping in the wilderness of Yosemite National Park. You can see a map of this area here: [map link]. If your wilderness camping trip begins or ends outside of Yosemite National Park, please respond to this questionnaire only for the nights that you are camped in the wilderness of Yosemite National Park. [map link]

One questionnaire should be completed by each permit group. A permit group is the party traveling together on a single wilderness permit.

Each night that you are camping, we will ask you questions about your decisions about where to camp. Each morning we will ask you questions about your camping experience. These questions will refer to two types of locations: your camping area and your campsite. Your camping area is the overnight destination where you camped (for example, a lake or set of lakes; a meadow, pass, or valley; a trail junction or river confluence, etc.). Your campsite is the specific spot within the camping area where you spent the night. Many campsites will likely exist within a camping area.

PART 1

Group Characteristics & Trip Plans

This section of the questionnaire asks about your permit group. Your permit group is the personal group (i.e., friends and family) with whom you are traveling on your wilderness permit during this trip in Yosemite National Park.

We ask for information about your permit so we can understand how the characteristics of your trip and the quality of your wilderness experience are related to the numbers and types of wilderness permits issued in

Yosemite National Park.

All permit data will be anonymized, with all personally identifying information removed.

1. Which of the following management units or organizations issued your wilderness camping permit? (select one)
	Yosemite National Park
	Inyo National Forest
	Sierra National Forest
	Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
	Stanislaus National Forest
	Eldorado National Forest
	Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit
	Pacific Crest Trail Association (i.e., PCT long-distance permit)
	I have no permit
	Other (please specify): _______________________________
2. What is the ID number of your permit? _____________________________ (enter your permit ID, which may contain both numbers and letters)

3. How many people, including yourself, are in your permit group (i.e., the friends and family with whom you are camping in the wilderness)?: _________________ (number of people)

4. Will you be using the services of a commercial guide or outfitter on this trip (excluding the services of the High Sierra Camps)? (select one)
	Yes
	No

5. Did you start your wilderness camping trip inside Yosemite National Park? (select one)
	Yes, I plan to start my wilderness camping trip in Yosemite National Park.
	No, I plan to start my wilderness camping trip outside of Yosemite National Park. Go to 8

6. Please select the place in Yosemite National Park where you started your wilderness trip. (select one) [click here for a reference map]
	Picklist item 1 of possible start locations
	Picklist item 2 of possible start locations…
	Other, please specify: ____________________

7. How many nights ago did you start your wilderness trip? ______________ (number of nights)

Go to 10

8. Please select the place where you entered Yosemite National Park during your wilderness trip. (select one) [click here for a reference map]
	Picklist item 1 of possible entry locations
	Picklist item 2 of possible entry locations…
	Other, please specify: ____________________

9. How many nights ago did you enter Yosemite Wilderness your wilderness trip? ______________ (number of nights)

10. Do you plan to end your wilderness camping trip in Yosemite National Park? (select one)
	Yes, I plan to end my wilderness camping trip in Yosemite National Park.
	No, I plan to end my wilderness camping trip outside of Yosemite National Park. Go to 12

11. Please select the place in Yosemite National Park where you plan to end your wilderness trip. (select one) [click here for a reference map]
	Picklist item 1 of possible end locations
	Picklist item 2 of possible end locations…
	Other, please specify: ____________________
Go to 13

12. Please select the place where you plan to exit Yosemite National Park during your wilderness trip. (select one) [click here for a reference map]
□	Picklist item 1 of possible exit locations
□	Picklist item 2 of possible exit locations…
□	Other, please specify: ____________________

13. How many nights, in total, do you plan to camp in the wilderness in Yosemite National Park during your wilderness trip? ___________________ (number of nights)

14. Approximately how far, in miles, do you plan to travel in Yosemite National Park on this trip?
________	miles
OR
□	Don’t know/not sure

15. How would you describe your planned route for this wilderness camping trip? (select one)
	My route is entirely within Yosemite National Park.
	My route is along the John Muir Trail (i.e., traveling mostly along the JMT).
	My route is part of a Pacific Crest Trail long-distance trip (i.e., traveling more than 500 miles along the PCT).
	Other, please specify: ____________________

16. Do you consider yourself to be the leader or organizer of your permit group? (select one)
	Yes
	No

17. People choose to take wilderness trips for many reasons. How important was each of the following in your decision to take this wilderness camping trip? (check one box for each item)
				Not at all important	Slightly important	Moderately important	Very important	Extremely important
Freedom								
Solitude								
To think about who I am								
Closeness to nature								
Wilderness								
Remoteness								
Sense that surroundings haven’t been impacted by people								
To be away from crowds of people								
Challenge (physical or mental)								
To be away from the modern world								
To meet other people like me								
To be with family or friends								
To have a story to share								
To develop personal, spiritual values								

18. Including this one, approximately how many wilderness or backcountry camping trips have you taken in Yosemite National Park? (select one)
	This is my first wilderness or backcountry camping trip in Yosemite.
	2 to 3 trips
	4 to 5 trips
	6 to 7 trips
	8 or more trips

19. Including this one, approximately how many wilderness or backcountry overnight camping trips have you taken in your lifetime? (select one)
	This is my first wilderness or backcountry camping trip anywhere.
	2 to 5 trips
	6 to 10 trips
	11 to 25 trips
	26 to 50 trips
	51 or more trips

20. How familiar are you with the purposes and characteristics of federally designated Wilderness areas? (select one)
	Not at all familiar
	Slightly familiar
	Somewhat familiar
	Very familiar

21. Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements about your use of federally designated Wilderness areas. (check one box for each item)
	Strongly disagree	Disagree	Neither	Agree	Strongly Agree
I find that a lot of my life is organized around wilderness use.					
I feel like wilderness is part of me.					
I get greater satisfaction out of visiting wilderness than other areas.					

PART 2

NOTE TO REVIEWER: Respondents will be asked to complete PART 2 Camping Night and Camping Morning questions prior to leaving their campsite for the day. PART 2 will be printed on cardstock and distributed along with a pencil.

Camping Night

Each night that you are camping, the card has questions about your decisions about where to camp. Each morning there will be questions about your camping experience. These questions will refer to two types of locations: your camping area and your campsite. Your camping area is the overnight destination where you camped (for example, a lake or set of lakes; a meadow, pass, or valley; a trail junction or river confluence, etc.). Your campsite is the specific spot within the camping area where you spent the night. Many campsites will likely exist within a camping area.

22. When was the decision made to camp in this area tonight? (select one) Please note, this question asks about your decision to camp in this camping area, not your specific campsite.
	Upon arriving in the area.
	Sometime during the day today.
	On a previous day of this wilderness trip.
	Prior to the start of my wilderness trip.

23. Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements about the reasons why your permit group chose to camp in this area tonight. Please note, this question asks about your decision to camp in this camping area, not your specific campsite. (check one box for each item)
My group is camping in this area tonight because…		Strongly disagree		Disagree		Neither		Agree	Strongly Agree
it was part of our original trip plan.									
we could travel no further due to environmental conditions (e.g., weather, darkness, snow, flooded rivers, etc.).									
we could travel no further because of a physical reason (e.g., fatigue, illness, injury, etc.).									
we traveled further than expected today.									
there is a geographic feature (e.g., lake, mountain, river, etc.) that we want to camp near.									
staying in this area positions us to reach a destination we plan to visit later in our trip.									
we are trying to avoid crowds.									
we thought there would be empty places to camp.									
I or someone in my group has been to this area before.									
facilities like food storage lockers, potable water, or privies are available.									
some kind of emergency.									
24. Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements about the reasons why your permit group selected its campsite for tonight. Please note, this question asks about your decision about where to locate your campsite, not the general camping area. (select one for each item)
We chose this campsite because…	Strongly disagree		Disagree		Neither		Agree		Strongly Agree
I or someone in my group already knew about it.									
it was easy to find.									
it has adequate level and clear ground to accommodate our group.									
it provides shelter from weather, insects, sun, or other environmental conditions.									
most desirable campsites in the area were occupied.									
there were few suitable campsites in this area.									
it has a good view or other scenic appeal.									
it is close enough to a drinking water source.									
it is close to water for recreation (e.g., swimming/bathing, fishing).									
it is adjacent to the trail.									
it is close to facilities like food storage lockers, potable water, or privies.									
it has campsite “furniture” like a fire ring, seating, cooking rock, etc.									
it is away from others (i.e., you will not see or hear other campers).									
the campsite and surrounding area are free from litter and human waste.									
it appears that other people have camped here before.									
it was the first good site we found in this area.									
it is close enough to others to feel safe.									
it is a low impact place to camp.									

25. Among the reasons you considered when selecting your campsite, what was the primary reason why your permit group chose the campsite that you did? Please note, this question asks about the decision about where to locate your campsite, not the general camping area.

______________________________________________ (enter text, 80-character limit).

Camping Morning

Thank you for completing PART 1 of this questionnaire. Before leaving your campsite for the day, please respond to the questions on this card.

26. How much of the following did you notice in and around your campsite last night? (select one for each item)
				None at all	A little	Some	A lot	Don’t know
Litter or trash								
Improperly disposed of human waste or toilet paper								
Campfire rings or evidence of campfires								
Campsite furniture like rocks or logs arranged for seats, tables, etc.								
Campers from other groups entering or walking near your campsite								
Human alteration of vegetation or soil								
Wildlife habituation (e.g., animals approaching your camp in search of food, being tolerant of humans nearby)								

27. Now we would like to know how the amount of each of the above items you noticed affected your wilderness camping experience. Please indicate how the amount of each of the following items in and around your campsite last night affected your wilderness experience? (select one for each item)
	Detracted greatly	Detracted somewhat	Had no effect		Added somewhat	Added greatly	Not applicable/ I don’t know
Litter or trash							
Improperly disposed of human waste or toilet paper							
Campfire rings or evidence of campfires							
Campsite furniture like rocks or logs arranged for seats, tables, etc.							
Campers from other groups entering or walking near your campsite							
Human alteration of vegetation or soil							
Wildlife habituation (e.g., animals approaching your camp in search of food; being tolerant of humans nearby)							

28. How many other camping groups were you able to see or hear from your campsite last night? (select one)
	No other groups
	1 other group
	2 to 3 other groups
	4 to 6 other groups
	7 to 10 other groups
	11 or more other groups

29. We would like to know how the number of other groups you could see or hear from your campsite last night affected your wilderness experience. Please indicate how the number of other groups you could see or hear from your campsite last night affected your wilderness experience? (select one)
	It added greatly to my wilderness experience
	It added to my wilderness experience
	It had no effect on my wilderness experience
	It detracted from my wilderness experience
	It detracted greatly from my wilderness experience

30. Thinking about your camping experience last night only, how satisfied or dissatisfied were you with your campsite? (select one)
	Very dissatisfied
	Somewhat dissatisfied
	Neutral
	Somewhat satisfied
	Very satisfied
31. Will you be camping in Yosemite National Park wilderness tonight? (select one)
		Yes, I will camp at least one more night in Yosemite Wilderness. Go to 21
		No, I am ending my wilderness camping trip today.
		No, I will continue my wilderness camping trip but am leaving Yosemite National Park today.

32. Please indicate to what extent you agree or disagree with the following statements about your participation in this wilderness camping study. (select one for each item)
			Strongly disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly agree	Don’t know
Participating in this study negatively impacted my wilderness experience.								
Participating in this study contributed to the stewardship of Yosemite National Park.								
I would participate in this study again if I had the chance.								

Thank you for completing this Yosemite Wilderness Study questionnaire. Your responses are very much appreciated and will help to inform park Wilderness stewardship.

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