A Visual Character Approach to the Classification of Backcountry Trail Environments

Abstract

Backcountry research has collected demographic data on users for two decades. Little is known, however, about the perceptions and experiences of these users. This paper proposes a procedure for inventorying backcountry environments and developing a taxonomy based on the users' conceptions of them. These procedures are tested along a portion of the Appalachian Trail. The results provide a classification of trail environments into seven types: rural towns, countrysides, vistas, backwoods, trailside features, pathways, and logging activity. Identifications made by independent observers support the reliability of this classification. Some management implications for the study area are discussed.