SYSTEMATIC OBSERVATION OF USE LEVELS, CAMPSITE SELECTION AND VISITOR CHARACTERISTICS AT A HIGH MOUNTAIN LAKE

The behaviour of camping parties around Island Lake in the Bridger Wilderness was observed for 33 days during the summer of 1974. Over 90% of those parties arriving at Island Lake found other parties camped there ahead of them, and over a quarter found 5 to 8 other groups. Campers who were rated as experienced tended to select sites further from the nearest visible site and further from all occupied sites than inexperienced campers. The observation data provide use level baselines with which other settings can be compared.-from Authors