Andrew Broadbent, Utah Valley University
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Introduction: Timpanogos is the second highest peak in Utah County, and has the highest visitation in the state, despite having no stand-out features such as being the highest or most technical. Over the years Mt. Timpanogos has been valuable go-to wilderness area for recreating Utahns. It also has developed a unique sense of place in the way that famous locations like Yosemite and Yellowstone have. Now Timpanogos has exceptionally high visitation and trail use relative to other recreation areas in the US. One purpose of this research is to explain what makes this peak special to visitors and what can be done to improve the visitor experience in areas such as littering, trail cutting, and overcrowding.
Methods: Data were collected from July through September, 2013 at both trailheads leading to the summit of Mt. Timpanogos. Participants were asked to fill out a five-minute questionnaire on an iPad supplied upon contact at the trailhead. A ten-minute questionnaire was also available to participants who supplied an email address at the end of the five-minute survey. The questionnaire collected demographic information and qualitative responses related to the following: Experience participants had on their hike that day, perceptions of crowding, perceptions of information available to hikers, and acceptability of various management strategies being considered by the Forest Service.
Results: Three conclusions from the quantitative data supplied in the survey can be observed: (1) The majority of the visitation occurs on Saturday, (2) The majority of visitors reached the summit, and (3) The implementation of a permit system would reduce visitor satisfaction. Results from the qualitative portion showed that past family history on the mountain, ease of access, and a visitor sense of place on Timpanogos are the primary factors contributing to large visitor numbers.