Outdoor Recreation Research Articles

A Data-Based Discussion About Land Management Decisions That Limit Access to Protected Areas

Outdoor educators rely on access to protected natural areas to provide transformative learning experiences, yet increasing recreational use threatens this access due to ecological harm and resulting management interventions. This paper explores the ecological impacts of non-motorized outdoor recreation and the implications for outdoor educators’ access to protected areas, using the Manistee River Trail in Michigan as a case study. Drawing on academic literature and field observations, this commentary highlights the adverse impacts of quiet recreation, such as erosion and campsite proliferation, and the challenges faced by conservation agencies in managing overuse. The commentary includes a brief overview of data collection methods used to assess the MRT’s condition and offers recommendations for collaborative approaches between curricular and co-curricular outdoor education programs and conservation agencies to address these challenges. By emphasizing the importance of data-driven management decisions and partnerships, this paper underscores the need to balance conservation efforts with access to outdoor classrooms.

Short-term summer trips: Climate hazards & substitution

Climate change and related impacts on tourism and outdoor recreation in Austria are increasingly felt in the number of hot days and variable weather conditions. This paper investigates how these effects likely influence visitor behavior in the future. A survey with an integrated discrete choice experiment was applied combining weather information, travel distances, travel means, attraction type, certification and parking fees (N = 5544). The analysis of the results yielded a four-class model which showed different substitution behaviors during unpleasant weather conditions, making clear that decisions are based on complex trade-offs and lead to significant behavioral changes under climate change conditions. For destination management, these innovative insights into planning behavior and greater understanding of the four segments are crucial for future product development.

Accessible Trail Tourism: Trail Accessibility and Difficulty Rating Approach Designed for Individuals, Including With Mobility Impairments

ABSTRACTThis study introduces a novel approach to trail accessibility and difficulty rating tailored specifically for individuals, including those with mobility impairments, aiming to promote accessible trail tourism. Grounded in theoretical frameworks of inclusive outdoor recreation, equality, and complex adaptive systems, the proposed rating system incorporates criteria addressing physical access, terrain challenges, and amenities to accommodate diverse user needs. This study employed a sensor technology, called wheeled instrumentation sensor package (WISP) within the framework of the high‐efficiency trail assessment process (HETAP) to develop a new quantitatively based trail classification scheme. A case study trail and two hypothetical synthetic data trails were used to demonstrate both the trail wheelchair accessibility binary classification approach and the proposed trail difficulty classification approach. This research pioneers trail accessibility and difficulty rating and underscores the importance of integrating accessibility considerations into trail management practices to create truly inclusive outdoor recreational experiences.

Whose forest, whose values? Planning for Atlanta’s “South River Forest”

ABSTRACT Atlanta, Georgia's (USA) proposed South River Forest (SRF) is a 3,500-acre area straddling southeast Atlanta and parts of neighboring DeKalb County that would include non-contiguous greenspace and developed land uses. Catalyzed by the 2017 Atlanta City Design process, the SRF concept recognizes the ecologically rich, urban forest patches in this predominantly African American part of the metro area. SRF advocates point to the climate and environmental equity benefits of green space conservation for underserved communities and the personal benefits of having wildland-like outdoor recreation areas within the city. To gauge public perceptions of the SRF, promoters conducted the South River Forest Consensus Building & Stakeholder Engagement process in 2022, which included an online survey querying respondents' interactions with and personal relationship to the SRF. The findings showed overwhelming support for the preservation effort; however, eighty percent of respondents identified as white and just nine percent as black. This composition contrasts sharply with most SRF neighborhoods, which question whether black ways of being in nature were captured by the engagement process. Our analysis also brings attention to an alternative, black-led vision for the area that was not reflected in the engagement process and the implications of this erasure for recognition justice.

Outdoor recreation contributes to ecological changes along coastlines: Temperate United States cases highlight key impacts and ways forward

Coastal natural areas including sandy and rocky beaches comprise some of the United States’ most critical recreational and ecological resources. Through collaboration, governmental conservation agencies and non-profits forecast that over 2 billion coastline visits occur each year. Under contemporary conditions, coastal resource overuse endangers the integrity of both social and ecological systems. Existing and mounting concerns call for different coastal zone management strategies, including research into poorly understood and emerging disturbances. This work explains how recreational disturbances influence coastal environments through wildlife behavior changes, plant dynamics, and the quality of abiotic ecosystem elements. Atlantic and Pacific cases indicate that some outdoor recreation systems strongly affect habitat quality, sensitive species, and interacting communities. New insight into outdoor recreation’s contributions to ecosystem change will inform how coastal zone management agencies can implement stronger co-existence strategies for people and nature.

Nearby nature and wellbeing: an examination of place-belongingness and meaning in life among native and migrant residents in Norway

ABSTRACT Living nearby nature could be relevant for understanding what makes people feel they belong where they live and experience meaning in their lives. This study explored the relationships between nearby nature, place-belongingness, and meaning in life among first- and second-generation immigrants compared to the general Norwegian population. Two outdoor spaces were analysed: recreation areas and hiking areas within 200 metres and 500 metres from the participants’ residences, respectively. Using hierarchical multiple regression, we analysed survey data from 35,005 Norwegian residents. The results showed that outdoor spaces, especially recreation areas, were associated with higher place-belongingness and meaning in life. Concerning place-belongingness, the association’s intensity varied for first- and second-generation immigrants, depending on the outdoor space type. These differences could suggest that immigrant residents have different values and needs regarding outdoor recreation. Outdoor practitioners and urban designers can benefit from this knowledge, as intercultural contexts challenge the traditional notions of outdoor recreation.

Uncovering disparities in water-based outdoor recreation using cell phone mobility data

Abstract Outdoor recreation plays a pivotal role in improving people’s physical and mental health, serving as a popular form of entertainment and a significant economic contributor. Limited access to these resources not only exacerbates health disparities but also deprives underserved areas of essential benefits like stress relief and community bonding, both of which are crucial for enhancing overall quality of life. This paper provides one of the first detailed analyses of water-based recreation at over 61 000 inland and coastal sites across the United States. We aim to explore disparities in recreational behavior across race, ethnicity, income, and socioeconomic status. Using Advan cellphone data from more than 70 million outdoor trips, representing 215 000 census block groups, we find that communities of color, rural areas, and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups are significantly underrepresented in water-based recreational visits. Despite living similar distances from recreational sites, these groups show notably different patterns in travel distance for water-based recreation. Additionally, we find Native Americans from underserved areas have to travel 3–5 times longer distances than other groups for water-based recreation. Our findings show that the extensive and frequent cellphone mobility data could reveal policy-relevant patterns especially those made by underserved Americans often overlooked in traditional household surveys.

Take a hike: Spatializing allemannsretten and transportation accessibility for outdoor recreation in the Greater Stavanger Region, Norway

ABSTRACT A special connection between people and their environment is legally recognized in Norway as Allemannsretten, the right to enjoy a large part of Norwegian nature. Scholarship on leisure mobility, spatial planning, and transport geography recognizes the intrinsic value of this spatial connection. As people travel for outdoor recreation, equitable access to recreation is a goal for just transport systems and must be achieved as these systems are digitalized and electrified for low-carbon transitions. The aim of the article is to identify the impact of transportation accessibility on outdoor recreation habits in the Greater Stavanger Region, Norway’s third-largest metropolitan region. With car-centric development since the 1970s and ambitious automobility-reduction targets, transportation accessibility for outdoor recreation is a key indicator of challenges to overcome in mobility transitions, yet features marginally in public debate. In focusing on popular outdoor day trips and based on multisited interviews with both car owners and non-owners, the authors identify oversights in accessibility, spatializing the issue of local destinations in relation to urban transport transition. They conclude that policymakers must address specific gaps to make transport systems desirable and inclusive, and that a spatial lens can be used to problematize and advance just low-carbon transitions.

The research of knowledge diffusion network model for Tourism Destination-Public ecological civilization.

Visitor education plays a crucial role in the knowledge diffusion process in outdoor recreation and nature-based tourism. It entails sharing information, experiences, and insights with visitors to enhance their understanding and appreciation of the natural environment. Our methodology for investigating the diffusion of ecological civilization knowledge in tourism destinations involves constructing a knowledge diffusion network model. In this model, scenic spots, tourists, and the public are defined as network nodes, with the communication channels between them representing the edges of the network. By constructing a scale-free complex network, the knowledge diffusion mode of scenic spots can be depicted. The layer of resource supply node consists of different scenic spots, forming the core nodes set for knowledge diffusion in the tourism industry. This research aims to further explore the social and economic value of the tourism areas' ecological civilization knowledge diffusion, as well as analyze the path, quantity, and cost of knowledge diffusion. by analyzing this knowledge diffusion network model, insights into the effectiveness and impact of visitor education in promoting ecological civilization and sustainable practices in tourism destinations can be gained. Overall, this approach provides a theoretical framework for investigating and comprehending the knowledge diffusion process in Tourism Destination-Public ecological civilization, thereby shedding light on the social and economic benefits that can be derived from sustainable tourism practices.

Gain and loss: reflection on the rapid development of National Wetland Parks in China

Context National Wetland Parks (NWPs) are a unique form of protected areas in China that have experienced a rapid increase in number from zero to more than 900 over the past two decades. Aims We examine the underlying causes of the boom in NWPs and assess their far-reaching ecological and socio-economic impacts. Methods Utilising GIS information and vector maps, we analysed the spatial distribution of pilot and approved NWPs from 2005 to 2019. Document analysis was employed to explore resource-orientated and legal drivers that have prompted the growth of NWPs. Key results China’s NWPs developed in three phases, namely, the exploration phase (2005–2007), the expansion phase (2008–2014) and the normalisation phase (2015–present). The demand for outdoor recreation and improved wetland legislation were the primary facilitators for the growth of NWPs. Conclusions The expansion of NWPs is an important contributor to nature conservation and ecological civilisation, yielding a range of ecological, economic and social benefits. Implications China’s experiences in NWPs offers valuable lessons and implications for global nature conservation. Implementing a long-term management mechanism for NWPs is recommended to enhance the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands.

Amnesia and homework

Introduction: In humans, the phenomenon of temporally graded retrograde amnesia has been described in the clinic and the laboratory for more than 100 years. The memory f\deficit can occur against a background of intact intellectual and perceptual functions. Material and methods: There were analyzed articles from the PubMed database from the last 5 years 2019-2024, mentioning such words as “amnesia”, “homework”. Results: Amnestic syndrome is narrower than once believed in the sense that a number of learning and memory abilities are preserved. The brain system damage in amnesia has only a temporary role in memory. In the 1950 edition of the Encyclopedia of Educational Research H.J. Otto wrote “compulsory homework does not result in sufficiently improved academic accomplishments to justify retention” [1]. Eighteen years later P.R Wildman went a step further, starting that “whenever homework crowds out social experience, outdoor recreation, and creative activities and whenever it usurps time devoted to sleep, it is not meeting the basic needs of children and adolescents” [2]. Conclusion: Thus, as Otto’s remark exemplifies, homework fell out of favor. Homework, it was believed could accelerate knowledge acquisition. Wildman expressed the concern of the time that too much emphasis on school would lead to the neglect of other areas of personal fulfillment. Not all amnesias, results from brain damage. Amnesia may be produced by severe emotional trauma or naturally occurring changes in state or arousal [3-5]. Improves creative activity total quality management as a predictor of artificial intelligence provides competitive marketing, proven and by the role of social networks in reducing stress [6,7], confirming that amnesia has only a temporary role in memory.

Discourses on friluftsliv and environmental awareness in Norway, 1960–2000

ABSTRACT This article analyses how the cultural practice of Norwegian friluftsliv (outdoor recreation) came to be represented as a particularly effective way of cultivating environmental awareness from the late 1960s. The analysis shows how a small group of actors gained the power to shape the friluftsliv discourse, and how their ideas spread and gained influence from that time until the year 2000, in the fields of higher education, government policy and friluftsliv organizations.

Understanding COVID-19 and its Impact on Social connection at the Outdoor Recreational Spaces Among CQUniversity students

Preventive measures have been widely used to stop the COVID-19 outbreak, which may have a devastating impact on the social connection among university students. Particularly, Outdoor recreation has been limited due to the COVID-19 restrictions. This study seeks to understand Central Queensland University students’ knowledge about COVID-19 preventive measures and identify the consequence of this practice on the social connection at the outdoor recreational spaces by using a mixed-method design (online survey and interview). Central Queensland University students (CQU) enrolled in Participatory Health Research completed an online survey (N=22) and participated in an online interview (N=15). The results showed that students understood clearly about COVID-19 preventive measures (N=22, 100%). Students had a high number of social connections at the recreational areas, both in-person (Mean=7, Std=7) and virtually (Mean =2, Std=7) before COVID-19. Conversely, during the COVID-19 outbreak, social contacts at the recreational areas had dropped for in-person (Mean=4, Std=5.5) while connection via online platforms slightly increased (Mean =3, Std=5). Their level of social connectedness during COVID-19 moderately connected (N=8, 36%). Students’ experienced impact on the three socioecological levels of intrapersonal (e.g. stress, loneliness, and behavior change), interpersonal (e.g. contacting via social media) and environmental (e.g. parks needed for emotional support).

The use of digital tools in forest tourism and recreation - Experiences from Warsaw agglomeration in Poland

Tourism and recreation in forest areas around large urban agglomerations are becoming increasingly important and pose major management challenges in terms of sustainability, environmental impact and balancing the needs of visitors with conservation efforts. Digital tools are critical to the planning and management of suburban forests as they improve data collection, enable efficient resource allocation and enhance the visitor experience through better navigation and information dissemination. The aim of our work was to find out whether people visiting urban and suburban forests in Warsaw consciously plan their visits to forest areas, what ICT tools they use during and after a forest visit, and whether they share their experiences related to forest recreation on social media after the visit. The research focused on urban and suburban forests in the Warsaw metropolitan area, Poland. Data on visitors’ characteristics, recreation habits and digital skills were collected in an online panel survey in November 2023 (n = 1413). The results showed that respondents most frequently visited forest areas around Warsaw 2–3 times a month and several times a year. The vast majority of respondents planned their visits directly on the day of the trip (34.96 %) and used their own knowledge and experience when planning their trip to the forest. More than half of respondents (69 %) stated that they use various types of digital tools when visiting forest areas, most commonly smartphones with GPS functionality. Most respondents stated that they had advanced (43.38 %) or at least advanced (32.06 %) knowledge of using digital tools. 39.49 % of respondents stated that they do not use the internet to share information about their forest visits. The research results presented in the sentence indicate the complexity of using digital tools in the management of outdoor recreation and tourism. On the one hand, our research clearly shows that digital tools are an integral part of modern outdoor recreation and tourism management and provide valuable insights, on the other hand, most respondents planned their visits directly on the day of departure, relying mainly on their own knowledge and experience, rather than on digital tools. This knowledge can be used to develop forest management strategies, environmental education, monitoring tourist flows and promoting responsible recreation worldwide. Further research is needed to analyse the use of digital tools in digital forest recreation.

Urban Green Infrastructure and Ecosystem Service Supply: A Study Concerning the Functional Urban Area of Cagliari, Italy

Urban green infrastructure (UGI) is a network composed of natural and semi-natural areas, such as greenspaces, open areas, and water bodies, designed to enhance the provision of ecosystem services and to meet the needs and expectations of local communities. UGIs should be accessible and should improve the well-being and health of their users, protect and enhance biodiversity, and allow for the enjoyment of natural resources. The study proposes a methodological approach to defining a UGI, conceived as a network of areas connected by urban ecological corridors and suitable for providing climate regulation, flood risk mitigation, outdoor recreation, and biodiversity and habitat quality enhancement. The methodology is applied to the functional urban area (FUA) of the City of Cagliari, Italy. The analysis results show that areas with high values of climate regulation, carbon storage and sequestration, and habitat quality enhancement are particularly suitable to be part of a UGI. Although values for outdoor recreation appear to be less significant, the provision of this service is particularly relevant within the Cagliari FUA. However, areas characterized by high values of flood risk mitigation show a different behavior, which highlights how the presence of impermeable surface within urban areas is associated with a loss of patch connectivity.

Impacts of landscape configurations on ecosystem services and their trade-offs across different landscape compositions

Landscape sustainability depends on the design of landscape patterns that can be guided by ecosystem services (ESs). Clarifying the impacts of landscape configurations on ESs and their trade-offs will facilitate landscape planning and management to achieve the best design without changing most landscape compositions. However, limited work has focused on these impacts, and whether these impacts are the same on different compositions remains unexplored. Thus, this study analyzes the impacts of landscape configurations on ESs and their trade-offs for different compositions. In this analysis, Gaussian mixture model was used to cluster the landscape by compositions, five important ESs (crop production, water yield, carbon storage, soil retention, and outdoor recreation) were quantified, and the constraint line was used to analyze the impact, taking the Xiangjiang River Basin as an example. Results showed that three clusters of landscape compositions, which are similar to the urban–rural–natural gradient, were identified. Furthermore, the impacts of landscape configurations on ESs and their trade-offs had largely the same direction in different compositions. However, change in landscape composition makes the high correlations among them weaker or shift to constraint impacts. Based on the results of the study, we can not only contribute to local landscape development but also argue three general approaches for landscape planning and management. First, considering the trade-offs and making a choice adapted to local conditions. Second, adjusting landscape configurations with virtually no changes of compositions. Third, external intervention based on rational landscape configurations.

‘My body was no longer a problem’: Electric mountain biking, disability, and the cultural politics of green exercise

AbstractDisability is often overlooked in discussions of green exercise. Consequently, we still know little about how ableist ideologies might play out in the context of nature engagement, or the forms of pleasure that disabled people derive from participation in green spaces. In this paper, we address this gap in the literature by exploring the relationship between electric mountain biking and disability in England (UK). Adopting the work of Bernard Stiegler, we highlight the superficiality of existing ideologies of nature, analyse the myriad ways that e‐mountain bikes can challenge ableist attitudes towards outdoor recreation, and explore the freedoms and constraints that accompany the assemblages between e‐mountain bikes and ‘disabled’ bodies. Drawing on data from 20 online interviews, we highlight the social contexts and interactions that shape technological choices, adaptations, and outcomes within the disabled e‐mountain bike community. Our analysis reveals that, while e‐mountain bikes are stigmatised in green spaces, the enhanced level of social interaction that is afforded by the presence of such technology allows participants to de‐emphasise their perceived physical inadequacy and, instead, focus on promoting a more empowering image of the socio‐technical disabled body that is active, capable and self‐determined.

Use of Natural Areas among Latinxs Living in South Carolina

The Latinx population in the United States (US) is growing. While Latinxs have historically been present in US cities and southwestern states, there is a notable surge in migration to new destination states, including South Carolina (SC). As the Latinx population grows and extends to new geographies, there is a need to examine the evolution of Latinxs’ outdoor recreation patterns. Exploring their changing preferences regarding public spaces can inform park management planning and policy. This study examines outdoor recreation use among SC-based Latinxs, exploring three central questions: 1. What are the outdoor recreation preferences among Latinxs living in SC? 2. What constraints do Latinxs face while engaging in outdoor recreation? 3. What are Latinxs’ primary motivations in visiting natural areas? This study employs a convergent parallel mixed method design. The quantitative phase consists of a cross-sectional sampling approach via online surveys, while the qualitative phase utilizes focus groups. Analyses of survey results include descrip-tive statistics and ANOVA and Chi-square tests for select variables. Qualitative analyses are based on a priori open coding with thematic development. Quantitative and qualitative data were first examined separately and later compared. Results suggest that walking/hiking is the primary outdoor recreation activity in which Latinxs engage. Focus-group participants also mentioned a variety of land- and water-based outdoor recreation activities. The most prevalent motivations for recreation experiences included relaxation, escape, and improved health. The top five factors preventing survey respondents from visiting natural areas were tiredness after work, insufficient time off work, insufficient time and money to visit natural areas, and proximity to natural areas. Focus group participants also reported various constraints hindering their visits to natural areas, including time, cost, safety, inadequate on-site amenities, weather, and Latinx-specific constraints. The findings indicate that natural resource agencies wanting to improve Latinx outdoor recreation experiences should have bilingual front-line staff and provide communicative media, such as website information or on-site signage, in Spanish. Our findings also underscore the importance of Latinx-focused social media groups as useful tools for disseminating information.

The Effect of Outdoor Recreational Areas on Public Health: A Systematic Review

This systematic review aims to assess studies over the past five years (2018–2023) regarding the influence of outdoor recreation areas on public health. We aggregated data from a study encompassing 18 articles in the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases, utilizing the keywords "open-air recreation areas," "public health," "physical health," "mental health," and "social well-being." Research indicates that outdoor recreational areas enhance mental health by reducing stress, foster social relationships among neighbors, and promote physical health by encouraging exercise. We advocate for the utilization of longitudinal and experimental designs in forthcoming studies to improve our understanding of the beneficial impacts of these domains on public health. A comprehensive analysis of the health effects of outdoor recreational areas necessitates a more in-depth examination of environmental and socioeconomic factors, alongside an increased volume of research targeting varied demographic groups.

Multi-scale matching and simulating flows of ecosystem service supply and demand in the Wuhan metropolitan area, China

Metropolitan areas face the challenge of balancing increasing social needs against limited natural resources. The multi-scale evaluation of ecosystem services (ES) supply, demand and flows is crucial but under explored. Four prominent ES, food provision (FP), carbon sequestration (CS), soil conservation (SC), and outdoor recreation (OR) in Wuhan metropolitan area (WMA) were selected as cases. ES supply and demand were assessed by InVEST model, geographic information system (GIS) spatial analysis, and statistical methods. A linear programming model was employed to reveal the characteristics of ES flows. Results showed the following: (1) the total ES supply capacity can meet the demand of the study area. At different scales, the supply patterns were fundamentally consistent, except for FP, which was significantly higher in Wuhan's suburban areas. In contrast, the other three ES exhibited high supply in the northeast and south WMA, encompassing the Dabie and Mufu Mountains. The high demand for all ES radiated from the city center, except for SC. (2) A significant scale effect of ES mismatch was found, and ecological deficit patches decreased with increasing research scale. The Mismatch was evident on finer scales but lessened at coarser ones. (3) ES flows, consisting of FP, CS, and OR, formed a flow pattern from the suburbs to the city center. Coarse-scale management integrating ecological flows may better maintain ES balance than fine-scale measures. These findings provide insights for multi-scale management strategies that not only contribute to localized ecological restoration, but also optimize strategies for ecological corridors and compensation mechanisms.