Managing Carrying Capacity at Arches National Park

Abstract

Abstract Visitor use of Arches National Park has grown dramatically in the past few decades and now exceeds 1 million visits annually. This has led to the trampling of fragile soils and vegetation, as well as crowding on trails and at attraction sites. The National Park Service developed and applied its Visitor Experience and Resource Protection framework to measure and manage carrying capacity at Arches; the first national park to use a management-by-objectives framework for this purpose. The process has led to an insightful exploration of the balance between preservation of the environment and visitor experience. Information Adapted from ‘Chapter 8 – How Many Visitors is Too Many at Arches?’. In: Manning R.E. and Anderson L.E (eds) Managing outdoor recreation: case studies in the National Parks . CABI, pp. 71-75. © CAB International 2012