Arches National Park visitor use study: Summer, 2016

Resource Systems Group, Incorporated (RSG)

• This report describes the results of a visitor use study at Arches National Park conducted from September 17 through September 25, 2016. During the sampling period, 963 visitor groups were contacted to participate in the survey. Of those groups, 893 agreed to participate in the study by accepting a mail-back survey packet. Questionnaires were completed and returned by 661 visitor groups, resulting in a completion rate of 74% among those visitor groups that agreed to participate in the study and an overall response rate of 69% for the study. • This report profiles a systematic random sample of Arches National Park visitors. Most of the results are presented in graphs and frequency tables. Summaries of visitor comments are included in the body of the report. Verbatim comments are included in the Visitor Comment Appendix (bound separately). • Sixty-six percent of visitor groups were groups of two, and 13% of visitor groups were groups of four members. Eighty-seven percent of visitor groups did not include any children (under 18 years of age). • Approximately 33% of visitors were 65 years old or older, 28% of visitors were 55 to 64 years old, 18% of visitors were 35 to 54 years old, 16% of visitors were 20 to 34 years old, and 5% of visitors were under 20 years old. • Individuals from the United States comprised 76% of total visitation during the survey period. At the state level, 11% of visitors were from California, 7% of visitors were from Colorado, and 5% of visitors were from Utah. Smaller percentages of visitors were from other U.S. states and the District of Columbia. • International visitors comprised 24% of total visitation with 21% of international visitors from the United Kingdom, 17% from Germany, 15% from Canada, and smaller percentages of visitors from 25 other countries. • Ninety-one percent of visitors indicated having visited the park only once during the last 12 months, while 6% had visited two times during the past year. Seventy percent of visitors indicated having visited the park only once during their lifetime, while 14% had visited the park twice in their lifetime. • Thirty-seven percent of visitor groups decided to visit Arches National Park two to six months before their visit. Twenty-two percent of visitor groups decided to visit the park more than six months but less than a year before their visit. Very few visitors (5%) decided to visit the park on the day of their visit. • Ninety-six percent of visitor groups obtained information about Arches National Park prior to or during this trip. The most commonly reported information sources used to obtain information prior to and during a trip were the Arches National Park website (55%), the maps and brochures (49%), friends/relatives/word of mouth (37%), or travel guides/tour books (36%). • Seventy-eight percent of visitor groups encountered safety information in Arches National Park mostly through the visitor center (31%), trailhead signs (18%) or other signs (17%). The vast majority of visitor groups (94%) indicated they were prepared for common safety situations in Arches National Park • The experiences most likely to be rated as “extremely important” and “very important” by visitors in Arches National Park included: to view scenic beauty (98%), to be close to nature (85%), and to learn more about nature (64%). The experiences least likely to be rated as “extremely important” or “very important” by visitors to the park included: to be where things are fairly safe (44%), to be my own boss (44%), to avoid the unexpected (28%), and to be near others who could help if you needed them (19%). • Sixty-three percent of visitor groups used a private vehicle to travel between an overnight accommodation or home and Arches National Park, while 36% of visitor groups used a rental vehicle. The vast majority (96%) of visitor groups who used a private or rental vehicle used one vehicle for the visitor group. • Thirty-two percent of visitor groups waited..........

Arches National Park visitor use study: Summer, 2016

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