Monitoring Visitor Capacity: Acadia National Park Carriage Roads: 2003: Crowding and Behaviors
Jacobi C. 2005. Monitoring Visitor Capacity: Acadia National Park Carriage Roads: 2003: Crowding and Behaviors. Acadia National Park Natrual Resources Report Number 2005-4. National Park Service, Acadia National Park. Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, ME
A description of the carrying capacity of the Carriage Roads. FIELD WORK: 2003 A portion from the Executive Summary: 'Carriage roads were monitored for crowding in 2004 using established methods.' 'Estimations of carriage road use levels indicate that the crowding standard was not violated. The 3,000 persons-per-day limit was not exceeded, based on a one-tailed 80% confidence level. The highest estimated use was 2,247. Visitor use on the top ten busiest days of July and August was similar to previous years. The number of days with visitor use greater than 2,000 per day was comparable to 1997-1999 but higher than 2000-2002, even with 8 days of data loss during early August.' 'In 2003 we corrected our statistical analysis from past years regarding behaviors, and report here in summary of the monitoring results from 1997, 2000, and 2003. Behavior standards were violated for the dog off the leash behavior every year and in each zone (six times). Behavior standards for the Startle behavior were violated twice in the low use zone (1997 and 2000). Behavior standards for the Obstruction behavior were violated every year (three times) in the high use zone.' 'Demographic results for the questionnaire are consistent with previous research and monitoring. Residents are more often walking than biking, staying less time than other visitors, and entering at times and places when it is less busy. Compared with the 1997 monitoring sample, the 2000 and 2003 samples have greater representation from residents, walkers, and equestrians. Less than 5% of carriage road visitors are using the Island Explorer to reach the carriage roads.' /STUDY LOCATIONS:/ /MOUNT DESERT ISLAND/Carriage Roads/
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Jacobi, Charles
- Date of Issue
- 2005-04
- Publisher
- National Park Service, Acadia National Park
- Units
- ACAD
- Keywords
- Acadia National Park, carriage roads, Carrying Capacity, crowding, Human Use, Management, ME, Monitoring, Mount Desert Island, trail use, Trails, Visitor Experience