Proceedings of the 2009 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium

Land managers in the Northern Forest region of Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont face the challenge of providing high-quality recreation opportunities and experiences while also protecting fragile summit resources. Th e goals of this study were to identify indicators and standards of quality for visitor experiences and summit resources for three mountains with a range of recreation opportunities. Crowding, trail condition, damage to summit soils and vegetation, and type and level of management were found to be important indicators of quality. A visitor survey identified the social, resource, and management conditions that visitors find minimally acceptable. An assessment of summit resources quantified relative cover of vegetation, exposed soil, lichens, and bedrock.