Monitoring Recreation on Federally Managed Lands and Waters—Visitation Estimation
Citation
Hanson, D., Wilkins, E. J., Wood, S. H., Crowley, C., Boone, W., & Schuster, R. (2025). Monitoring recreation on federally managed lands and waters—Visitation estimation (No. 2025-5022). US Geological Survey. doi.org/10.3133/sir20255022
Millions of people visit public lands and waters managed by the U.S. government each year, helping local communities make money from tourism. To manage these places well, it’s important to have accurate information about how many people visit. This report looks at how different government agencies count visitors and use that information. It found that many agencies use tools like automatic counters but differ in how often they report data and how they define a visit.
The report also explores new ways to track visitors, like using social media, cell phone activity, and community science. While these new tools could make data better, they also bring challenges like privacy concerns, high costs, and the need to check the data carefully. The report ends by suggesting ways to improve how data is collected and shared, so decisions about public lands can be smarter and more useful.
Abstract
Federally managed public lands and waters attract millions of visitors each year, generating significant economic benefits for surrounding communities. Accurate visitation data are crucial for guiding policy decisions and managing resources effectively. This report explores the methods employed by agencies to collect and use data on recreational visitation to Federal lands and waters. Visitation estimation practices across seven agencies are reviewed, revealing similarities such as the use of automated counters for on-site data collection, alongside differences in reporting frequencies, visit definitions, and public access to data. Emerging technologies, including social media, mobile device activity, and community science, are also evaluated for their potential to improve visitation estimation. Although these technologies offer promising opportunities, they come with challenges such as data biases, the need for calibration, costs, and privacy concerns. The report concludes with opportunities to enhance data collection, coordination, and accessibility, ensuring more efficient resource management and informed decision making.