Density as an incomplete cause of crowding in backcountry settings

Abstract

The simple bivariate density‐crowding relationship is reexamined in a study of backcountry use in Yosemite National Park. It is found to be lacking in predictive ability. A more inclusive path model is tested that takes into account personal and experiential motive factors. The introduction of these factors reduces the effect of social density to a level that is not statistically significant. Social density is, in this sense, spurious, and crowding is likely to mean something more complex than a simple response to high levels of encounters. The most important influences on crowding perception that were included in the model are experience motives. In particular, quietude, nature involvement, and shared experience motives have the strongest relationship to crowding perceptions. The common‐sense notion that crowding in backcountry settings is a phenomenon largely dependent upon sheer numbers of people must be reassessed in favor of more complex formulations that incorporate normative, motivational, and social organizational aspects.

Key words:

• outdoor recreation
• crowding
• motives
• social carrying capacity
• backcountry
• social density