Digging Into the Numbers Behind the Pandemic Trail Boom

Digging Into the Numbers Behind the Pandemic Trail Boom

'Trail boom' North American data analysis

Posted on 17.08.2021

A Data Driven Approach

As the summer unfolds, park and trail managers across North America are preparing for yet another recording breaking season. While it is too early to make definitive calls about the state of pandemic trail boom and future volumes on trails and in parks, early analyses suggest the boom is alive and well. During this unprecedented time, automated count data serves as a crucial tool to track changes, understand use, and make the work of trail managers just a little bit easier.

For park managers and everyday users, the 2020 boom in trail use is well known. With pandemic restrictions in place, the outdoors became ‘essential spaces’ for people to safely recreate, gather and escape during an incredibly difficult time. Across the country, trail use skyrocketed during the pandemic, up 79% between March and July 2020 according to data from Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. From local forest paths to national parks and large outdoor recreational destinations, trails volumes reached new heights in 2020. Consumers felt the pressure too, with outdoor recreation goods near-impossible to find. Bike shops, for example, saw unprecedented demand in 2020 and the industry is still reeling from supply shortages and long waits.

But what does the ‘trail boom’ actually look like out on your local trails? How have hourly, weekly and monthly trends changed since the pandemic?

Automated counters (also known as trail counters or people counters) provide trail managers an objective basis for understanding how and when trails are used. Trail counters, such as our ever-popular PYRO-Box, count the numbers of people passing a location on a trail each day. These data are essential to justify trails, inform maintenance schedules, support grant funding and much more.

This shift in trail use tells an interesting story. During the pandemic, relative use was higher during the day, and lower in the evening – perhaps because people had more work flexibility, or needed an escape during the day. Although a small shift in use, these data are essential for trail managers to inform maintenance schedules and security.

Source
Matt Ainsley
Eco-Counter, Inc.
American Trails

 

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