Characterizing Demand for Rock Climbing in the Vedauwoo Recreation Area: Does Crowding Affect Visitation

The use of public land for outdoor recreation is expected to increase in the future as the U.S. population grows, and many public land managers already face challenges caused by overuse, including crowding impacts to user experience and resource integrity. Therefore, understanding how crowding affects the demand for outdoor recreation is imperative for land managers tasked with managing multiple use while also protecting natural resources. Public agencies, such as the US Forest Service, use capacity studies to determine the appropriate number of public and commercial users. As part of an ongoing capacity study of rock climbing in the Vedauwoo Recreation Area in southeast Wyoming, I use an intercept survey and a random utility model to characterize the demand for rock climbing in Vedauwoo. My model estimates the effects of site (for 13 climbing sites) and user characteristics, including measures of crowding, on rock climbing demand. Results suggest that crowding levels in Vedauwoo are not currently having a negative effect on rock climbing demand. Furthermore, rock climbers concerned about encountering crowding are capable of finding opportunities in Vedauwoo that allow them to avoid crowding. Given these results, the U.S. Forest Service can consider allowing more commercial use of Vedauwoo without significantly impacting the climbing experience for most visiting rock climbers.