This chapter extracts an emerging set of principles that can be used to guide management of outdoor recreation. These principles draw on both the scientific and professional literature reviewed in Part I of the book and are illustrated with examples from the case studies presented in Part II. These ...

Glacier National Park is known as a backpacker's paradise, and for much of the park's history, little regulation of backcountry camping existed. But as visits to the park's primitive interior increased, concerns grew about safely accommodating this use while protecting wilderness resources (Impacts ...

Roads in Grand Teton National Park were designed to accommodate visitors in automobiles, and most visitors travel through the park in this way. But with narrow or nonexistent shoulders, roads present a challenge for those wishing to travel through the park in other ways (Conflict). To increase...

In winter, Yellowstone National Park is a geothermal wonderland of steam, snow, and ice. Visitors on snowmobiles and snowcoaches are afforded remarkable opportunities to experience the park's interior in midwinter, but this type of visitation has not been without controversy. Motorized over-snow...

Devils Tower holds an ethereal allure to many people. Rock climbers regularly challenge the monolith's signature cracks and columns. But the act of climbing is perceived as disrespectful by some Native Americans (Conflict) who practise traditional ceremonial activities at the sacred site. Moreover, ...

The National Mall contains some of the world's most iconic monuments and memorials, serving as a national symbolic space, a backdrop for civic discourse, and an attraction to visitors from across the globe. Intensive levels of use have led to challenges probably never envisioned by early planners,...

Air tours provide visitors with thrilling access to the vistas at Grand Canyon National Park, but this type of visitation can interfere with the experiences of visitors on the ground, disturb wildlife, and alter the wilderness character of the park (Impacts to natural quiet; Impacts to wildlife;...

The road serving Zion Canyon - the scenic heart of Zion National Park - was often congested, and parking lots overflowed (Impacts to roads/parking; Impacts to attraction sites; Crowding; Conflict). This made the Canyon noisy (Impacts to natural quiet), and unauthorized parking along the road...

Increasingly large numbers of visitors to Yosemite National Park were choosing to hike to the summit of Half Dome, the scenic symbol of the park and one of the most distinctive and charismatic mountains in the world. The last portion of the hike ascends the steep and exposed east face of the...

Visitors to Voyageurs National Park have the opportunity to boat, paddle, swim, and fish on a historic water passageway credited with "the opening of the Northwestern United States". However, the movement of visitors between water bodies within the park and larger region can harm aquatic habitats...