Grand Canyon National Park Visitor Use Assessment

Grand Canyon Visitor Use Study

Post-Experience Survey

PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT 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 §100701) to collect this information. The routine uses of this information will be for the benefit of NPS Managers and Planning staff at Grand Canyon National Park for current and future management initiatives. The data collected will be summarized to evaluate visitor experiences and expectations at each location. Your responses to this collection are completely voluntary and will remain anonymous. You can end the study at any time and will not be penalized in any way for choosing to do so. All paper versions of the information collected 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 less than 10 minutes to complete the pre-trip and post-trip surveys in this study. You may send comments concerning any aspect of this information collection to: Dr. Derrick Taff, Assistant Professor, Recreation, Park and Tourism Management, 801 Ford Building, University Park, PA 16802, Penn State University, bdt3@psu.edu (email); or Phadrea Ponds, NPS Information Collection Clearance Officer, pponds@nps.gov (email).

1. Below is a list of benefits you may have attained while visiting Grand Canyon National Park. For each statement, please indicate how true you find each statement to be for your visit today.

During my visit to Grand Canyon National Park, I have…	Not at all true	Slightly true	Somewhat true	Very true	Completely true
…improved my connection with nature.	1	2	3	4	5
improved my appreciation of natural beauty.	1	2	3	4	5
stimulated my senses through experiencing nature.	1	2	3	4	5
…reduced my anxiety.	1	2	3	4	5
…reduced my physical stress.	1	2	3	4	5
…gained a greater acceptance of myself.	1	2	3	4	5
…improved confidence in my abilities.	1	2	3	4	5
…increased my sense of adventure.	1	2	3	4	5
…increased my sense of independence.	1	2	3	4	5
…increased my family bonds.	1	2	3	4	5
kept the children of our group engaged in the outdoors.	1	2	3	4	5
…improved my social bonds.	1	2	3	4	5
enhanced my knowledge of the cultural history of Grand Canyon.	1	2	3	4	5
…increased my appreciation for historical sites.	1	2	3	4	5

2. Did you plan to begin your visit to Grand Canyon National Park earlier in the day than you would have liked to avoid crowds? (Please respond “yes” or “no”)

NO YES

3. Did you plan to begin your visit to Grand Canyon National Park area later in the day than you would have liked to avoid crowds? (Please respond “yes” or “no”)

NO

YES

4. How crowded did you feel while visiting at Grand Canyon National Park today? (Select one response)

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

5. How crowded did you feel while recreating at the following sites today? (Please select only one response per item)

Location	Not at all Crowded	Slightly Crowded	Moderately Crowded	Very Crowded	Extremely Crowded
Bright Angel Trailhead	1	2	3	4	5
Grandview Point	1	2	3	4	5
Mather Point	1	2	3	4	5
Pipe Creek Vista	1	2	3	4	5
South Kaibab Trailhead	1	2	3	4	5
Yavapai Point / Geology Museum	1	2	3	4	5

6. Did you do any of the following in response to the density of visitors you encountered today? (Please respond “yes” or “no”)

Went to a different area of the park that has less people (if yes, please specify where you were initially and where you ended up) _____________________________________________________________________	YES	NO
Went to Desert View to avoid crowds at Grand Canyon Village or the Mather Point area	YES	NO
Continued with my planned activity and location	YES	NO
Changed my primary activity to adjust to the number of people (if yes, please specify) ______________________________________________________________________	YES	NO
Other (if yes, please specify) _________________________________________________________________	YES	NO

7. How did the number of people you saw during your visit compare with what you expected? (Please select only one response)

A lot less than what you expected	A little less than what you expected	About what you expected	A little more than what you expected	A lot more than what you expected	You did not have any expectations
1	2	3	4	5	0

8. Below is a list of statements related to your visit to Grand Canyon National Park. Please rate how true the following statements are according to your visit today.

	Not at all True	Slightly True	Moderately True	Very True	Completely True	Not Applicable
I felt unsafe due to overlapping vehicle and pedestrian traffic	1	2	3	4	5	0
I feel that vehicles gave me the right of way when appropriate	1	2	3	4	5	0
I felt uncomfortable with the speed of traffic	1	2	3	4	5	0
I felt unsafe due to proximity of trails to the edge of the canyon	1	2	3	4	5	0
The number of other visitors around me increased my risk of being injured	1	2	3	4	5	0
The risky behaviors of other visitors made me anxious	1	2	3	4	5	0
I felt unsafe due to the proximity of wildlife	1	2	3	4	5	0
I felt unsafe due to the likelihood of lightning striking the rim of the canyon	1	2	3	4	5	0
I felt unsafe due to the risk of heat-related illness	1	2	3	4	5	0
I decided not to travel to certain areas of the park due a fear of injury	1	2	3	4	5	0
My perception of safety at this park will influence future trip planning	1	2	3	4	5	0
The apparel I wore to this park was based partly on safety	1	2	3	4	5	0

9. Using the map(provided), please identify the locations you visited today only, then identify the areas where you experienced the following outcomes. (Please provide only one response per item)

Site Visited	Specify Location
Improved nature appreciation
Improved natural quiet and solitude
Enhanced sense of adventure and achievement
Enhanced social and/or family togetherness
Improved spirituality and inspiration
Increased sense of stress
Increased sense of crowding
Reduced sense of safety
Degradation of natural or cultural resources
Displacement from a location due to stress, crowding, unsafe conditions, or resource degradation

1