Managing Outdoor Recreation, 2nd Edition

Information/Education

• Promote alternative sites (e.g. within park, other parks)
• Promote alternative times to use site/park (e.g. hours, days, seasons)
• Inform visitors of current impacts/conditions (e.g. impacts to resources, crowding)

Rationing/Allocation

• Set capacity (for site, park) and allocate access by reservation system
• Set capacity (for site, park) and allocate access by queuing system
• Set capacity (for site, park) and allocate access by fee system
• Set capacity (for site, park) and allocate access by lottery system
• Set capacity (for site, park) and allocate access by merit system
• Implement differential fee system (e.g. temporally, spatially)

Rules/Regulations

• Set capacity (for site, park) and require a use permit
• Require a reservation for entry/use
• Require a fee for entry/use
• Require special knowledge/skills for entry/use
• Implement a maximum length of stay
• Limit group size
• Prohibit selected activities/uses (e.g. activities/uses with high resource and/or social impacts)
• Close site/park (e.g. temporally, seasonally, permanently)

Law Enforcement

• Establish presence of a uniformed ranger
• Require visitors to show a use permit
• Sanction (e.g. fine) visitors for unauthorized use

Zoning

• Zone attraction site/park for lower use
• Zone attraction site/park for no use

Facility Development/Site Design/Maintenance

• Set capacity (for attraction site, park) and design visitor facilities (e.g. parking lots) and services accordingly
• Make access to attraction site/park more difficult (e.g. lower standard roads, trails, transit)
• Improve access (e.g. higher standard roads, trails, transit) to alternative sites (within park, other parks)
• Eliminate attractions/facilities/services at problem attraction site/park
• Provide attractions/facilities/services at alternative attraction sites (e.g. within park, other parks)

Information/Education

• Inform visitors of the range of recreation areas and opportunities available
• Promote use of low-use areas

Rationing/Allocation

• Not applicable

Rules/Regulations

• Extend time that area is open to visitor use (hours, days, seasons)

Law Enforcement

• Not applicable

Zoning

• Zone alternative areas for higher use

Facility Development/Site Design/Maintenance

• Improve attractions, facilities, services in alternative areas
• Develop attractions, facilities, services in new areas
• Improve access to new/alternative areas

Information/Education

• Promote alternative sites (e.g. within park, other parks) to disperse use
• Promote alternative times to use site (e.g. hours, days, seasons) to disperse use
• Promote resistant/hardened sites to concentrate use
• Inform visitors of current impacts/conditions (e.g. resource impact, crowding)
• Inform visitors of acceptable and unacceptable recreation activities (e.g. no climbing on attraction site features)
• Inform visitors of acceptable and unacceptable behavior (e.g. stay on developed facilities)
• Educate visitors about why selected activities/behaviors are unacceptable (e.g. walking off developed facilities can damage fragile vegetation)

Rationing/Allocation

• Not applicable

Rules/Regulations

• Prohibit high-impact uses (e.g. no motorized activities)
• Prohibit high-impact behavior (e.g. no walking off developed facilities)
• Limit group size
• Institute a maximum length of stay

Law Enforcement

• Establish presence of a uniformed ranger
• Sanction (e.g. warn, fine) visitors for inappropriate use/behavior (e.g. walking off developed facilities)

Zoning

• Zone area for low-impact uses only (e.g. pedestrian use only)

Facility Development/Site Design/Maintenance

• Provide facilities/services for low impact uses only (e.g. pedestrian use only)
• Locate/concentrate facilities and services on impact-resistant sites (e.g. impact resistant soils and vegetation, away from sensitive wildlife habitat)
• Design facilities and services to minimize impact (e.g. boardwalks over wet areas)
• Maintain facilities to minimize impact (e.g. maintain the integrity of fencing at viewpoints)

Information/Education

• Inform visitors of current conditions (i.e. resource degradation, crowding at attraction sites)

Rationing/Allocation

• Not applicable

Rules/Regulations

• Not applicable

Law Enforcement

• Not applicable

Zoning

• Not applicable

Facility Development/Site Design/Maintenance

• Locate visitor attractions/facilities on durable areas (e.g. soils that are resistant to compaction and erosion)
• Develop facilities (e.g. viewing platforms) to “shield” fragile resources
• Design facilities to concentrate use on naturally resistant or hardened areas
• Maintain or rehabilitate impacted locations
• Close and rehabilitate impacted areas
• Maintain/repair damage to impacted areas
• Clean/maintain area regularly