Summary of Use Estimates 



A summary of use estimates for key variables, based on results of ratio estimation 

 is shown below for the Mission Mountains Primitive Area for the period June 15 to 

 November 11, 1968, inclusive: 



Vai"iab Ze 



Estimate 



Standavd eTvov 







[Pevaent) 



Total season- long visits 



4 5 13U 



6 . 3 



Number of summer visits 



1 A Q 9 

 o , Do/ 



D . O 



Number of fall visits 



478 



6.3 



Total season- long group visits 



1,004 



8.1 



Number of summer group visits 



843 



8.1 



Number of fall group visits 



161 



8.1 • 



Total season- long visitor-hours 



56,711 



14.7 



Total season- long visitor-days-^^ 



4,726 



14.7 



Summer visitor-hours 



49,332 



14.7 



Summer visitor-days^^ 



4,111 



14.7 



Fall visitor-hours 



7,379 



14.7 



Fall visitor-days •'• ^ 



615 



14. 7 



The average length of stay was about 14 hours, and the average group size was 4.1 

 persons. Over 80 percent of all groups left the wilderness the same day they entered. 

 Such a short average stay is much less than generally expected by recreation planners 

 and managers for wilderness users, but it agrees with the results of studies in 

 Oregon by Wenger (1964) and in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area by Lucas (1964) . Another 

 study in three Oregon and Washington wildernesses (Hendee et al . 1968) shows stays 

 averaging only 2.2 to 3.0 days. 



More than 94 percent of the visitors were estimated to be hikers. Most of the 

 very limited horse use occurred in the fall. Hikers accounted for 97 percent of the 

 summer use and 85 percent of the fall use. Only one user in a hundred was estimated to 

 have employed guides or outfitters. 



Use was distributed very unevenly throughout the Mission Mountains Primitive Area. 

 This agrees with all previous studies of wilderness use. The estimated season-long 

 distribution of use is shown in figure 8. Forty-four percent of all groups entered 

 the area along the Glacier Lake Trail. Another 18 percent entered along the Cold Lakes 

 Trail. Lakes appeared to be the major attraction, but use was appreciable only where 

 there were trails leading to them. Some large lakes were lightly used, apparently 

 because of long distances involved or because of lack of trails to them. Use dropped 

 rather quickly as distance from access points increased. 



This use distribution was rather different than the prestudy trail use estimates 

 made by the administrators of the area for planning stratification. The summer pattern 

 was more extreme; a few places were more heavily used than estimated, and a great many 

 were more lightly used. In the fall, Glacier Lake was used more heavily than had been 

 estimated on weekends, but almost all other locations were uced less than expected. 



•^^^Standard error, expressed as percentage of the estimate. 



■'■■'■A visitor-day is defined as a recreation use that aggregates 12 person -hours 

 It might entail one person for 12 hours, 12 persons for 1 hour, or any equivalent 

 combination of individuals or group use, either continuous or intermittent. 



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