A partial census of hiking trail use, 2014
Seymour A and Jacobi C. 2014. A partial census of hiking trail use, 2014. ANP Natural Resource Report 2014-11. Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, ME
From executive summary: "While there were a few surprises, the 2014 census confirmed most expectations. Even on a similar date with similar weather, there can be much variation in a spot count or census such as this. Counts at the new Otter Cove Trail give park managers a sense of how much this new trail is being used, even before it is on a trail map. Counts at the new Kebo Brook Trail demonstrate the effectiveness of efforts to encourage hikers to use the Island Explorer bus to access this trail. It is great to see people already taking advantage of it. Because we focused more on the Western side, we counted at more low use trails this year. Together with the census from 2013, the two censuses offer a full picture of the distribution of use across the hiking trail system. - The Bubbles Divide Trail had 399 hikers enter and 297 exit. - The Kebo Brook Trail on Paradise Hill Road had 97 enter and 47 exit. Ninety-two people took the bus and 52 people used cars. - Fifty-eight people used the new Otter Cove trail at Gorham Mountain. Forty-one came from the direction of Blackwoods and seventeen entered from the Gorham Mountain Trail. - Forty-one people went through the new Otter Cove Trail intersection at the cove. Thirty-three people came from Blackwoods and thirty-two headed towards Gorham Mountain. Five hikers used the Quarry Trail to or from Grover Avenue in Otter Creek even though it is not officially open. - No one entered the Beech Cliff Loop Trail North. Of the 93 who entered the Beech Cliff Loop Trail East, about 2/3 completed to Loop and exited from the Beach Cliff Loop Trail North and 1/3 returned the Beech Cliff Loop Trail East. One hundred thirteen hikers entered or exited from the Beech Cliff Loop Trail South, but only 54 of them came from the south, or the top of the Beech Cliffs Trail. Since 84 hikers entered the Beech Cliffs Trail from Echo Lake parking, ~30 of them turned around somewhere or turned left on the Canada Cliff Trail. - Eighty-four hikers went up Beech Cliff Trail and 30 hikers came down."
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Seymour, Abigail; Jacobi, Charles
- Date of Issue
- 2014-12
- Units
- ACAD
- Keywords
- census points, hiking, recreation, trail use, trails