Social Carrying Capacity of Parks and Outdoor Recreation Areas

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Concern over the increased use of parks and outdoor recreation areas is a perennial issue. Visitors can trample fragile vegetation, erode soil, pollute water, and frighten wildlife. Moreover, too many visitors can cause crowding, conflict, and other social impacts, thereby degrading the quality of the recreation experience. Concern over these issues was documented by the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission in the early 1960s and has grown in importance as visitation to most parks and outdoor recreation areas has continued to increase.

These issues are often incorporated within the conceptual framework of carrying capacity. In its most generic form, carrying capacity …