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 on trails (e.g. soil erosion, crowding)

Rationing/Allocation

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

Rules/Regulations

• Set capacity (for trail, trail system) 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
• Close trail/trail system (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 trail, trail system for lower use
• Zone trail, trail system for no use

Facility Development/Site Design/Maintenance

• Set capacity (for trail/trail system) and design visitor facilities (e.g. parking lots at trailheads) and services accordingly
• Make access to trail/trail system more difficult (e.g. lower standard roads, trails, transit)
• Improve access (e.g. higher standard roads, trails, transit) to alternative trails/trail systems (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 trails (e.g. within park, other parks) to disperse use
• Promote alternative times to use trails (e.g. hours, days, seasons) to disperse use
• Promote resistant/hardened trails 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 mountain biking)
• Inform visitors of acceptable and unacceptable behavior (e.g. do not walk off trail)
• Educate visitors about why selected activities/behaviors are unacceptable (e.g. walking off trail can damage fragile vegetation)

Rationing/Allocation

• Not applicable

Rules/Regulations

• Prohibit high-impact uses (e.g. no pack stock)
• Prohibit high-impact behavior (e.g. no walking off trail)
• Limit group size
• Implement 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 trail)

Zoning

• Zone area for low-impact uses only (e.g. pedestrian use only)
• Separate conflicting activities by spatial zoning (e.g. one trail for motorized activities and a different trail for non-motorized activities)
• Separate conflicting activities by temporal zoning (hours, days, seasons) (e.g. a trail is zoned for motorized activities during one season and non-motorized activities during another season)

Facility Development/Site Design/Maintenance

• Provide facilities/services for low impact uses only (e.g. pedestrian use only)
• Locate trails on impact-resistant sites (e.g. impact resistant soils and vegetation, away from sensitive wildlife habitat)
• Design trails to minimize impact (e.g. use switchbacks on steep slopes, construct waterbars along trail, designate trail margins)
• Maintain facilities to minimize impact (e.g. clean out waterbars regularly)

Information/Education

• Inform visitors of current conditions (i.e. resource degradation, crowding on trails)

Rationing/Allocation

• Not applicable

Rules/Regulations

• Not applicable

Law Enforcement

• Not applicable

Zoning

• Not applicable

Facility Development/Site Design/Maintenance

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