Crossing Experiential Boundaries : Visitor Preferences Regarding Tradeoffs among Social , Resource , and Managerial Attributes of the Denali Wilderness Experience

ilderness management researchers and practitioners have long recognized that wilderness experiences are influenced by the social conditions experienced (e.g., the number of other groups encountered), the resource conditions experienced (e.g., the amount of human impact at camping sites), and the management conditions imposed (e.g., the number of backcountry permits issued; Hendee et al. 1990). Decisions about how to manage wilderness involve potential tradeoffs among these conditions. For example, the number of permits issued for recreational use of a wilderness area could be increased to allow more public access, but this might result in more resource impacts and encounters among groups within the wilderness area. Conversely, reducing the number of recreational-use permits issued might reduce resource impacts and encounters among groups, but would allow fewer people to enjoy the wilderness area.