Transcontinental wilderness survey: comparing perceptions between wilderness users in the eastern and western United States

This study explores the differences in perceptions of wilderness between recreationists in the Eastern United States and those from the West, with a focus on definitions of wilderness areas and factors that may decrease enjoyment of the wilderness experience. The few studies performed on this comparison over the past 25 years have produced inconsistent results and there is a need for more research. We conducted a survey of recreationists at wilderness areas in the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania, the Mt. Hood National Forest in Oregon, and through a snowball sample of Alaskan and Californian wilderness users.