Trends in wilderness recreation use characteristics

Recent studies at the Leopold Institute have included analysis of use and user trends at the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Desolation Wilderness, Shining Rock Wilderness, the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Eagle Cap Wilderness. Some sociodemographics, like age, education, and the proportion of female visitors, have changed substantially without shifts in kinds of trips or preferences for conditions encountered. At the Eagle Cap Wilderness, visitors also showed a deeper commitment to wilderness and more purist attitudes toward appropriate behaviors in wilderness.