Anatomy of Backcountry Management Costs

by Herbert E. Echelberger, Harriet J. Plumley

1986

S2Operation and management costs for several dispersed overnight site locations and backcountry trails in the White Mountain National Forest were studied. Average annual costs ranged from $200 to $1,500 per mile for trails and from $0.35 to $4.29 per visitor for overnight sites. Average annual costs for trails and overnight sites increased with elevation and use levels, but on a per-visitor basis, high-use trails cost less to maintain than low-use trails at all elevations. Costs per visitor at overnight sites were less well defined. The method used in this study may be useful to backcountry recreation managers in their efforts to acquire a better understanding of all the costs of providing backcountry recreation opportunities.S3.