Perceptions of Crowding and Access to Affordances in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah.

In the United States, the National Park Service (NPS) is the agency entrusted to preserve and protect more than 400 NPS units, yet growing visitation to these sites is making that mission more difficult. Visitation to Capitol Reef National Park (CRNP), Utah, has doubled over the last decade. In response to these growing visitation numbers, researchers in this study worked with CRNP managers and used mixed methods to analyze visitors' perceptions of crowding. Quantitative survey assessments indicated that visitors did not think the park was crowded; however, the qualitative responses offer insight into issues with access to affordances--resources in the built environment that visitors expect--such as parking spots, campsites, and uncongested roads. Our results elucidate two key takeaways: (a) the importance of using both quantitative and qualitative methods to assess crowding and (b) how the actual number of visitors in a natural area can have less of an impact on perceptions of crowding than the strain on resources that visitors create. These findings have implications for communicators and land managers in a variety of settings who seek to balance increased visitation and visitors' expectations for amenities with the preservation of the natural areas themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]