North Carolina State Parks System Analysis of Visitors per Vehicle: 2023-2024 Study

PAGE 9 North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation Department of Natural and Cultural Resources July 2025 NORTH CAROLINA STATE PARKS SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF VISITORS PER VEHICLE: 2023-2024 STUDY PAGE 9 CONTENTS 1 Introduction 4 2 Study Methods 6 33.1. Visitors per Vehicle (VPV) Estimates 11 3.2. Amenity and Facility Usage 12 3.3. Visitor Demographics 14 Results 11 Recommendations 17 4Appendix A. Legislation Mandating Visitor per Vehicle Counts 19 Appendix B. Current VPV Estimates Used in all NC State Parks 21 Appendix C. Maps of Parks in 2023-24 Study 25 Appendix D. Exit Survey Protocol 38 Appendix E. Exit Survey Data Collection Sheet 39 Suggested Citation NC State University. (2025). North Carolina State Parks System Analysis of Visitors per Vehicle: 2023-24 Study. Raleigh, NC: NC State University, College of Natural Resources. © 2025 PAGE 9 This project was made possible by a collaborative effort involving researchers at multiple institutions including NC State University, the NC Division of Parks and Recreation, and the superintendents of all the parks involved in the study. NC State University Stacy Supak Lincoln Larson Charlynne Smith Audrey Fatone Brooklyn Joyner More than 10 undergraduate research assistants NC Division of Parks and Recreation Dave Head Vonda Martin The superintendents of all the parks involved in the study. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research was funded by the NC Division of Park and Recreation (NC DNCR MOA 2933) Funding NC STATE PARK SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF VISITORS PER VEHICLE PAGE 3 PAGE 9 To estimate overall visitation to state park units in NC, the NC Division of Parks and Recreation (the Division) installs mechanical traffic counters at vehicular entrances to each park. Some parks have more than one traffic counter because they have multiple entrances for vehicles. Some parks also have trail counters to measure pedestrians, but not all pedestrian, bicycle or water entrances are counted. To estimate total visitation, a multiplier representing the estimated number of visitors in each vehicle is applied to the raw traffic counts observed at each park unit. These multipliers vary depending on the type of use and the season of the year. For example, traffic counters near boat launches have a lower multiplier in winter than in summer, and traffic counters near trailheads have a higher multiplier during peak use times, such as the fall season in the mountains. Multipliers have historically been based on observations made by park staff and volunteers and are adjusted to estimate for pedestrian, equestrian, water, and other accesses that do not have traffic counters. INTRODUCTION NC STATE PARK SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF VISITORS PER VEHICLE PAGE 4 PAGE 9 In 2011, the N.C. General Assembly directed the Division to examine the number of visitors per vehicle (i.e., the multipliers) used in the calculation of visitor counts at state parks at least once every five years (S.L. 2012-93, see Appendix A). Since then, the Division has worked with the Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management in the College of Natural Resources at North Carolina State University to set up a repeatable process for conducting a periodic visitors-per-vehicle assessment. The first study, conducted in 2013, evaluated visitation through intercept surveys collected from park visitors, considering non-vehicular access in the park as well as vehicle counts. The 2013 study, which focused on 15 park units, featured 2,014 visitor contacts and 1,746 completed surveys. The second study, conducted in 2018, counted the number of people in vehicles that entered a park and did not include a survey component. The 2018 study, which focused on 17 park units, included a total of 7,033 vehicles and 15,935 visitors counted. Based on those studies, the Division identified multipliers currently used to estimate visitation at different parks across the system (see Appendix B). The third iteration of this studydesigned to validate and/or update these multiplier estimates - was conducted from Summer 2023 through Spring 2024. Results are presented in this report. NC STATE PARK SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF VISITORS PER VEHICLE PAGE 5 PAGE 9 2. STUDY METHODS We attempted to model our 2023-24 study after previous studies as closely as possible to facilitate comparisons. However, we made several notable changes. First, we elected to sample 12 focal parks across the state, ensuring coverage across different geographic regions (e.g., Mountains, Piedmont, or Coastal Plain) and visitation levels (e.g., high, moderate, and low). We specifically targeted many parks that had not been captured in earlier studies, helping to extend insights from previous years across the broader park system (Table 1, Figure 1). Maps of all parks that were sampled, including sampling locations, are included in Appendix C. We chose to sample fewer parks to increase the number of visits we could make (and the data we might collect) at each one. Second, all data collection occurred via brief exit surveys of vehicles leaving the park. This enabled us to combine the intercept survey approach (from 2013) and the visitor count approach (from 2018) into a single data collection method that maximized the information we could collect in a short period of time. NC STATE PARK SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF VISITORS PER VEHICLE PAGE 6 Figure 1. Map of NC State Parks included in 2023-2024 Visitors per Vehicle (VPV) Study PAGE 9 PARK REGION 2013 STUDY 2018 STUDY 2023-2024 STUDY TOTAL PARKS IN STUDY 15 17 12 BOB’S CREEK STATE NATURAL AREA Mountains CAROLINA BEACH STATE PARK (CABE) Coastal X X CARVERS CREEK STATE PARK (CACR) Coastal X CHIMNEY ROCK STATE PARK (CHRO) Mountains X X CLIFFS OF THE NEUSE STATE PARK (CLNE) Coastal X CROWDERS MOUNTAIN STATE PARK (CRMO) Piedmont X DISMAL SWAMP STATE PARK Coastal ELK KNOB STATE PARK (ELKN) Mountains X ENO RIVER STATE PARK (ENRI) Piedmont X X FALLS LAKE STATE RECREATION AREA (FALA) Piedmont X FORT FISHER STATE RECREATION AREA (FOFI) Coastal X FORT MACON STATE PARK (FOMA) Coastal X X GOOSE CREEK STATE PARK (GOCR) Coastal X GORGES STATE PARK (GORG) Mountains X X GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN STATE PARK (GRMO) Mountains X HAMMOCKS BEACH STATE PARK (HABE) Coastal X X HANGING ROCK STATE PARK (HARO) Piedmont X X HAW RIVER STATE PARK Piedmont JOCKEY’S RIDGE STATE PARK (JORI) Coastal X X JONES LAKE STATE PARK (JONE) Coastal X JORDAN LAKE STATE RECREATION AREA (JORD) Piedmont X X KERR LAKE STATE RECREATION AREA (KELA) Piedmont X X LAKE JAMES STATE PARK (LAJA) Mountains X LAKE NORMAN STATE PARK (LANO) Piedmont X LAKE WACCAMAW STATE PARK Coastal LOWER HAW RIVER STATE NATURAL AREA Piedmont LUMBER RIVER STATE PARK Coastal MAYO RIVER STATE PARK Piedmont MEDOC MOUNTAIN STATE PARK (MEMO) Piedmont X MERCHANTS MILLPOND STATE PARK (MEMI) Coastal X X MORROW MOUNTAIN STATE PARK (MOMO) Piedmont X MOUNT MITCHELL STATE PARK (MOMI) Mountains X X NEW RIVER STATE PARK Mountains OCCONEECHEE MOUNTAIN STATE NATURAL AREA (OMSN) Piedmont X PETTIGREW STATE PARK Coastal PILOT MOUNTAIN STATE PARK (PIMO) Piedmont X PISGAH VIEW STATE PARK Mountains RAVEN ROCK STATE PARK (RARO) Piedmont X RENDEZVOUS MOUNTAIN STATE PARK Mountains SINGLETARY LAKE STATE PARK Coastal SOUTH MOUNTAINS STATE PARK (SOMO) Mountains X STONE MOUNTAIN STATE PARK (STMO) Mountains X X WEYMOUTH WOODS-SANDHILLS NATURE PRESERVE Piedmont WILLIAM B. UMSTEAD STATE PARK (WIUM) Piedmont X Table 1. NC state parks sampled across different visitors per vehicle (VPV) study years. NC STATE PARK SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF VISITORS PER VEHICLE PAGE 7 PAGE 9 We visited each park at least once for a weekday and weekend for the summer 2023 season (June-Aug), fall 2023 season (October-December), and spring 2024 season (February 2024 - April 2024). To determine survey dates, we used an online random list generator with all of the park names. We adjusted the schedule as needed based on the student technician schedule. We avoided sampling during holiday weekends (e.g., Memorial Day weekend, Easter weekend, etc), as higher visitation during these weekends may not accurately represent typical visitation patterns. We also considered weather, as days of extreme heat or heavy precipitation might have impacted estimates. The sampling schedule for parks appears in Table 2. Designated exit survey locations were selected by the Division and were located near traffic counters at different park entrances (see Appendix C for details). During each exit survey session, a trained NCSU student research assistant or pair of research assistants counted the number of vehicles exiting a park at a designated location for two hours. This two hour period typically occurred between 12:00pm-6:00pm. Researchers documented the number of visitors per vehicle (VPV) for every passing vehicle, and attempted to stop all exiting vehicles (or every n th vehicle if there was a need to minimize traffic delays) to ask the driver: 1) how many people are in the vehicle (adults and kids), 2) if the driver is visiting from NC (and if so, what county or ZIP code and if not, what state or country), 3) how much time they spent in the park, and 4) which zones in the park the group visited during their trip today (from a prespecified list of zones)? The exit survey protocol is included in Appendix D, and the data collection sheet is included in Appendix E. During the interaction, researchers also observed the race/ethnicity of visitors. If a vehicle was a mixed-race group, ‘other’ was marked for this observation. Researchers also recorded all work vehicles exiting during this time window, and these vehicles were intentionally excluded in the VPV counts. The Results below describe key findings from these exit surveys, including VPV estimates across different parks and time periods, a summary of visitor demographics, and some preliminary findings regarding amenity and facility usage across different parks. NC STATE PARK SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF VISITORS PER VEHICLE PAGE 8 PAGE 9NC STATE PARK SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF VISITORS PER VEHICLE PAGE 9 PARK SUMMER 2023 SAMPLING FALL 2023 SAMPLING SPRING 2024 SAMPLING CAROLINA BEACH Monday (7/10), Sunday (7/9) Friday (11/3), Saturday (11/4) Sunday (2/25), Monday (2/26) CARVERS CREEK Friday (6/16), Saturday (6/17) Friday (10/27), Saturday (10/28) Monday (3/25), Wednesday (4/24), Saturday (2/24), Sunday (3/24) ELK KNOB Friday (7/21), Saturday (7/22) Friday (10/27), Saturday (10/28) Friday (4/12), Saturday (4/13) ENO RIVER Monday (7/10), Friday (7/7, 7/21), Saturday (7/8, 7/22), Sunday (7/9) Friday (11/3), Saturday (11/4) Friday (3/1), Saturday (3/2) HAMMOCKS BEACH Tuesday (6/20), Saturday (6/24), Sunday (6/25) X Friday (10/20), Saturday (10/21) Friday (4/21), Saturday (4/22) JOCKEY’S RIDGE Friday (7/28), Saturday (7/29) Friday (9/29), Saturday (9/30) Friday (4/19), Saturday (4/20) JORDAN LAKE Friday (6/9), Saturday (6/10) Friday (12/1), Saturday (10/21) Friday (3/22), Saturday (3/23) LAKE NORMAN Friday (8/11), Saturday (8/12) Friday (11/17), Saturday (11/18) Friday (4/26), Saturday (4/27) MERCHANTS MILLPOND Friday (7/28), Sunday (7/30) Friday (10/13), Sunday (10/29) Monday (3/11), Sunday (3/3), OCCONEECHEE MOUNTAIN Friday (7/7), Sunday (7/9) Monday (11/13), Sunday (11/12), Friday (3/8), Sunday (3/10) SOUTH MOUNTAINS Thursday (8/3), Friday (8/4) Friday (10/20, 11/17), Saturday (10/21, 11/18) Friday (4/19), Saturday (4/20) STONE MOUNTAIN Monday (7/24), Friday (7/14), Saturday (7/15) Friday (10/13), Saturday (10/14) Friday (4/12), Saturday (4/13) Table 2. Sampling schedule in NC state parks for 2023-24 visitors per vehicle study. PAGE 9NC STATE PARK SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF VISITORS PER VEHICLE PAGE 16 Place of Origin We were able to record the place of origin for visitors in 4,619 vehicles. Based on these responses, we determined that 84.7% of vehicles contained visitors who were from NC, and 15.3% were from out-of-state. The proportion of vehicles from out-of-state was higher on weekdays (20.0%) than weekends (12.9%). The proportion of out-of-state vehicles was slightly higher in the fall (16.3%) and spring (16.2%) compared to summer (13.6%). We found that certain parks attracted more out-of-state visitors than others. Merchant’s Millpond and Jockey’s Ridge attract out-of-state visitors, while Carvers Creek, Jordan Lake, and Eno River appealed more to in-state visitors. Across all surveyed vehicles, 34.3% reported a local county residency (bordering the state park), whereas 50.4% reported residency from a non-local North Carolina county. Local visitation was more common during weekdays than weekends (38.3% vs. 32.3%), and slightly more common during spring (36.6%) as opposed to fall (34.4%) and summer (32.3%). Local visitors were most common at Carolina Beach (68.3%) and Eno River (67.5%) and least common at Jockey’s Ridge (8.0%) and South Mountains (7.9%). Table 7 shows the breakdown of visitor vehicles by in-state (local or non-local county) and out-of-state. Table 7. Percentage of NC State Park vehicles from NC (local or non-local county) or out-of-state, by park. Out-of-state vehicles had a higher VPV (2.51) estimate than in-state vehicles (2.10). Overall, out-of-state vehicles spent more hours in state parks (5.25) as compared to in-state vehicles (3.70). The most popular amenities used by out-of-state residents generally mirrored those of in-state visitors. However, out-of-state vehicles reported proportionally higher use of natural features (34.0% for out-of-state vs. 14.5% for in-state), campgrounds (7.4% vs. 4.1%), and visitor centers (20.7% vs. 15.5%), while in-state visitors reported proportionally higher use of trails (61.3% for in-state vs. 42.2% for out-of-state) and beaches and lakes (16.7% vs. 12.6%). PARK TOTAL VEHICLES WITH ORIGIN RECORDED VEHICLES FROM LOCAL NC COUNTY (%)* VEHICLES FROM NON-LOCAL NC COUNTY (%) VEHICLES FROM OUT-OF-STATE (%) CAROLINA BEACH 502 68.3 22.7 9.0 CARVERS CREEK 189 17.5 76.7 5.8 ELK KNOB 116 27.6 62.9 9.5 ENO RIVER 545 67.5 26.2 6.2 HAMMOCKS BEACH 260 56.5 30.4 13.1 JOCKEYS RIDGE 390 8.0 25.6 66.4 JORDAN LAKE 471 14.7 78.6 6.8 LAKE NORMAN STATE PARK 730 45.6 41.1 13.3 MERCHANTS MILLPOND 65 18.5 38.5 43.1 OCCONEECHEE 218 43.1 50.9 6.0 SOUTH MOUNTAINS 642 7.9 80.7 11.4 STONE MOUNTAIN 491 14.3 71.7 14.1 TOTAL 4619 34.3 50.4 15.3 *A local county was defined as any county where a state park was located or a county bordering at least one side of a state park. PAGE 9REFINING NC STATE PARK UNIT VISITATION ESTIMATES USING MOBILE TRACKING DATA PAGE 17 4. RECOMMENDATIONS Overall, the VPV estimates from the 2023-24 study (2.12) were slightly lower than the estimates generated in either 2018 (2.3) or 2013 (3.0). This could be due to several factors. The COVID-19 pandemic altered the way people travel and engage in outdoor recreation, with social distancing practices altering behavior norms. Perhaps larger carpools have become less common in the wake of the pandemic. Variation might also be due to the different parks that were sampled. Only 6 parks sampled in 2023-24 (Carolina Beach, Eno River, Hammock’s Beach, Jordan Lake, Merchant’s Millpond, and Stone Mountain) were also sampled in previous years (mostly in 2013), and visitor use patterns in the new parks might look different. However, it should be noted that, for all of the repeatedly sampled parks, 2023-24 VPV estimates were lower than in previous years (Table 8). The variation might also be due to the slightly different sampling approach: exit surveys of vehicles leaving the park. This approach to counting visitors was similar to the one employed in 2018, but quite different (and likely more accurate and comprehensive) than the one employed in 2013. Other potential sources of variation include weather (visitation is likely to be lower on colder or rainy days) and the survey day itself (a majority of 2023-24 observation sessions occurred on Fridays and Saturdays, and previous surveys featured a greater variety of sampling days). Table 8. Comparison of visitor per vehicle (VPV) estimates for parks in 2023-24 study and VPV estimates for the same parks in either the 2013 study, the 2018 study, or the current numbers used by NC State Parks to estimate visitation. NC STATE PARK SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF VISITORS PER VEHICLE PAGE 17 PARK 2013 STUDY 2018 STUDY CURRENT MULTIPLIER 2023-24 STUDY CAROLINA BEACH 2.3 41.71 CARVERS CREEK 3 (weekdays) 4 (weekends) 1.65 ELK KNOB 22.31 ENO RIVER 2.3 3.5 1.95 HAMMOCKS BEACH 3.1 32.08 JOCKEY’S RIDGE 3.5 32.68 JORDAN LAKE 3.7 4 (summer, spring, fall) 2 (winter) 2.49 LAKE NORMAN 31.97 MERCHANTS MILLPOND 2.5 32.12 OCCONEECHEE MOUNTAIN 3.5 1.85 SOUTH MOUNTAINS 42.24 STONE MOUNTAIN 2.6 42.23 TOTAL 3.0 2.3 2.12 PAGE 9 As noted in previous vehicle count reports, it should be reiterated that any method of measuring attendance is only an estimate. Future studies could include more parks and more sampling days or locations, but they would still represent a small subsample of actual visitors. The importance of measuring visitation is to understand trends over time - particularly between similar locations. This study’s results can be used to evaluate the accuracy of the current VPV estimates (and multipliers) developed by the Division to estimate attendance at our focal parks, but they should be cautiously interpreted when applied to similar parks not studied here. For example, multipliers for different days and seasons at Jordan Lake might be comparable to Falls Lake, but more research is needed to confirm that. Reliability of these data will be improved with additional sampling in future years, potentially accounting for factors such as weather and the socio-demographic attributes of visitors reported here. One novel element - and major advantage - of the 2023-24 study was our ability to estimate visitors’ demographic attributes based on exit survey responses. For instance, we were able to show that, across all parks we studied, 78.3% of visitors were adults, most (79.2%) were White, and a majority (84.7%) were from NC. We also found that trails were, by far, the most popular amenity in parks - used by 61% of visitors across all parks. These types of questions could be added to future exit surveys to help park managers understand now only how many people are coming to parks, but who these people are and how they are using parks. Moving forward, we recommend the following additions and adjustments to vehicle count studies in NC State Parks (many of which were echoed in previous reports): NC STATE PARK SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF VISITORS PER VEHICLE PAGE 18 • Consistently sample some of the same parks every 5 years using the same counting methods (e.g., exit surveys) to accurately assess trends in VPV estimates over time. • Sample more parks units and expand sampling times to include a greater variety of days and seasons. • Consider visitors entering parks via other modes of transportation (i.e., those who do not enter on roads with traffic counters) such as trails and adjust VPV estimates upward slightly to account for these other modes of park access. • Integrate other methods of tracking visitors such as mobile tracking data and use comparison studies to determine how these alternative approaches compare to more conventional traffic counter data/estimates (see separate 2025 report on Mobile Tracking of state park visitation). Collectively, these various approaches should help Division staff determine optimal strategies for estimating visitation, including but not limited to VPV counts. PAGE 9 APPENDIX A. Legislation mandating Visitor Per Vehicle Counts. NC STATE PARK SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF VISITORS PER VEHICLE PAGE 19 PAGE 9 APPENDIX A. Legislation mandating Visitor Per Vehicle Counts. (Continued) NC STATE PARK SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF VISITORS PER VEHICLE PAGE 20 PAGE 9NC STATE PARK SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF VISITORS PER VEHICLE PAGE 21 APPENDIX B. Current Visitor per Vehicle (VPV) Multipliers used in all NC State Parks. PARK NUMBER OF TRAFFIC COUNTERS MULTIPLIER FOR CARS MULTIPLIER FOR BUSES COMMENTS Carolina Beach SP 1 4 30 Boaters and auditorium use based on actual numbers and permits. Carvers Creek SP 1 Weekdays x 3 Weekends, holidays x 4 None Chimney Rock SP 1 Rumbling Bald Climbing Access 2None Attendance at Chimney Rock access is actual count by contractor. Rumbling Bald uses traffic counter plus backcountry registrations. Eagle Rock uses online reservations and backcountry registration. Cliffs of the Neuse SP 1 4 during summer and weekends, 2 in winter 30 Crowders Mountain SP 3 4 on weekends, 3 on weekdays None Dismal Swamp SP 1 3 30 Nomadic counter used to calculate numbers. Elk Knob SP 1 2 30 Eno River SP 4 3.5 None Falls Lake SRA 8 March - Sept: Park Areas x 4 Park Office x 4 Rollingview Marina x 2 Oct-February: Park Areas x 2 Park Office x 2 Rollingview Marina x 2 None Fort Fisher SRA 2 4 30 Fort Macon SP 2 4 30 Goose Creek SP 2 Main entrance x 3 Dinah’s Landing x 2 30 or Actual Gorges SP 2 3 30 PAGE 9 NC STATE PARK SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF VISITORS PER VEHICLE PAGE 22 PARK NUMBER OF TRAFFIC COUNTERS MULTIPLIER FOR CARS MULTIPLIER FOR BUSES COMMENTS Carolina Beach SP 1 4 30 Boaters and auditorium use based on actual numbers and permits. Carvers Creek SP 1 Weekdays x 3 Weekends, holidays x 4 None Chimney Rock SP 1 Rumbling Bald Climbing Access 2None Attendance at Chimney Rock access is actual count by contractor. Rumbling Bald uses traffic counter plus backcountry registrations. Eagle Rock uses online reservations and backcountry registration. Cliffs of the Neuse SP 1 4 during summer and weekends, 2 in winter 30 Crowders Mountain SP 3 4 on weekends, 3 on weekdays None Dismal Swamp SP 1 3 30 Nomadic counter used to calculate numbers. Elk Knob SP 1 2 30 Eno River SP 4 3.5 None Falls Lake SRA 8 March - Sept: Park Areas x 4 Park Office x 4 Rollingview Marina x 2 Oct-February: Park Areas x 2 Park Office x 2 Rollingview Marina x 2 None Fort Fisher SRA 2 4 30 Fort Macon SP 2 4 30 Goose Creek SP 2 Main entrance x 3 Dinah’s Landing x 2 30 or Actual Gorges SP 2 3 30 APPENDIX B. Current Visitor per Vehicle (VPV) Multipliers used in all NC State Parks. PAGE 9 NC STATE PARK SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF VISITORS PER VEHICLE PAGE 23 PARK NUMBER OF TRAFFIC COUNTERS MULTIPLIER FOR CARS MULTIPLIER FOR BUSES COMMENTS Grandfather Mountain SP 5 Trail Counters None None Trail counters at each trailhead for actual hiker count. Camper count from self-registration forms. Hammocks Beach SP 1 3 None Sep-May, 4 people per day, and Jun-Aug, 40 people per day added for personal boat traffic to Bear Island. Hanging Rock SP 6 3.5 None No counter at Vade Mecum. Haw River SP 0 None None Numbers calculated by conference attendance totals plus other guests that sign in at the front desk. Jockey’s Ridge SP 2 3 30 Jones Lake SP 1 4 30 Jordan Lake SRA 11 4 from Mar-Oct 2 from Nov-Feb 30 Total for office area uses no multiplier. Kerr Lake SRA 9 4 None Lake James SP 4 3.5 at park entrances 2 at boat ramps 30 Lake Norman SP 2 3 None Lake Waccamaw SP 3 4 30 Lumber River SP 2 4 None Plus equestrians depending on size of monthly trail rides. Mayo River SP 4 3 30 or Actual Medoc Mountain SP 2 4 30 Merchants Millpond SP 3 3 30 or Actual Morrow Mountain SP 1 4 30 Mt. Jefferson SNA 1 2 30 Mount Mitchell SP 1 3.5 30 or Actual New River SP 3 221 Access x 4 Wagoner Rd x 2 Kings Creek x 2 (Apr-Oct) 30 or Actual Plus 62 each day Apr-Oct for outfitter traffic. Occoneechee Mountain SNA 13.5 None Pettigrew SP 2 3 30 APPENDIX B. Current Visitor per Vehicle (VPV) Multipliers used in all NC State Parks. PAGE 9 NC STATE PARK SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF VISITORS PER VEHICLE PAGE 24 PARK NUMBER OF TRAFFIC COUNTERS MULTIPLIER FOR CARS MULTIPLIER FOR BUSES COMMENTS Pilot Mountain SP 3 4 None No reliable way to track bus traffic, but bus traffic to mountain section is significant, buses to river section minimal. Raven Rock SP 2 Mar - Nov: Weekdays x 3 Weekends x 4 South side, x 3 North side Dec - Feb: Weekdays x 2 Weekends x 4 South side, x 2 North side 30 Singletary Lake SP 1 4 15, 30 or Actua Visitation determined by group camp occupancy, plus vehicle count above the number of campers logged in. Visitation to satellite lakes not recorded. South Mountains SP 1 4 30 No traffic counters at Clear Creek, Roper Hollow, Baptist Camp, or Watershed Rd. Stone Mountain SP 2 4 None Weymouth Woods SNA 1 2 None No traffic counters at Boyd tract or Paint Hill tract. William B. Umstead SP 2 2 Plus 2 infrared counters at walkin trails. State Park (SP), State Natural Area (SNA), State Recreation Area (SRA) APPENDIX B. Current Visitor per Vehicle (VPV) Multipliers used in all NC State Parks. PAGE 9 NC STATE PARK SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF VISITORS PER VEHICLE PAGE 25 APPENDIX C. Maps of State Parks featured in 2023-24 study Carolina Beach Access Points and Exit Survey Location PAGE 9REFINING NC STATE PARK UNIT VISITATION ESTIMATES USING MOBILE TRACKING DATA PAGE 32 Jockey’s Ridge Access Points and Exit Survey Locations NC STATE PARK SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF VISITORS PER VEHICLE PAGE 32 PAGE 9REFINING NC STATE PARK UNIT VISITATION ESTIMATES USING MOBILE TRACKING DATA PAGE 33REFINING NC STATE PARK UNIT VISITATION ESTIMATES USING MOBILE TRACKING DATA Lake Norman Access Points and Exit Survey Locations NC STATE PARK SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF VISITORS PER VEHICLE PAGE 9 Merchants Millpond Access Points and Exit Survey Locations NC STATE PARK SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF VISITORS PER VEHICLE PAGE 34 PAGE 9NC STATE PARK SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF VISITORS PER VEHICLE PAGE 35 Occoneechee Mountain Access Points and Exit Survey Locations PAGE 9 South Mountains Access Points and Exit Survey Locations NC STATE PARK SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF VISITORS PER VEHICLE PAGE 36 PAGE 9PAGE 37 Stone Mountain Access Points and Exit Survey Locations REFINING NC STATE PARK UNIT VISITATION ESTIMATES USING MOBILE TRACKING DATANC STATE PARK SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF VISITORS PER VEHICLE PAGE 9PAGE 38NC STATE PARK SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF VISITORS PER VEHICLE APPENDIX D. Exit Survey Protocol NC State Park Exit Survey Protocol The researcher(s) will wait at the park exit(s) and stop every vehicle departing the park during a designated 2-hour time block. If traffic levels are high, the researcher may choose to select every 2nd, 3rd, or nth vehicle leaving the park to avoid traffic bottlenecks. If the randomly selected vehicle is a park staff member or a service vehicle (e.g., delivery truck), or if the visitor’s vehicle does not stop, then survey the next car instead. For EVERY vehicle that exits, always record the number of people in the car and note whether the vehicle is a visitor or service/work vehicle (there should be one row per vehicle on the data sheet). Additional information will be recorded for cars that engage with the exit survey process below: 1. Introduce yourself to an adult in the front seat as follows: “Hi. I am a student researcher at NC State University and we are working with NC State Parks to learn a little more about who is visiting parks and why. Do you mind if I ask you a couple of quick questions about your visit to the park today? It’ll only take a minute.” [Wait for response and obtain informed consent before progressing.] “Before we begin, please note that all of your responses are confidential, and your participation is completely voluntary. Would you like any more information about the study before proceeding?” [If they say yes, you share a copy of the Study Information Sheet with them before proceeding.] 2. Ask the following questions of the driver or front seat passenger in the vehicle and record responses on the data sheet… a) ASK: How many people are in your car today? How many adults? How many kids? [Also record race/ ethnicity.] When asking these questions, you should also attempt to document (without asking directly) the race/ ethnicity of the vehicle occupants as best you can using the following categories: White, Black, Latinx, Asian, Mixed/ other. If it is impossible to tell or if the group is composed of a variety of races and ethnicities, check Mixed/other. If you do not feel comfortable estimating race/ethnicity based on physical appearance, you are welcome to ask the vehicle occupants to self-report… just know this might start a longer, more difficult conversation. b) ASK: Are you from NC? If so, what county in NC? If not, what state (or country, if outside US)? c) ASK: How much time did you spend in the park today? Record responses in number of hours (for day visitors) and number of nights (for overnight visitors), clearly noting number of nights if overnight (e.g., 2n) to distinguish that number from hours (e.g., 4.5). All responses will be recorded as hours (e.g., 48 hours for 2 nights) when data are entered later. If the respondent says they’ll be coming back later, ask them how much time they plan to spend in the park today (or how many nights if an overnight visitor). d) ASK: Which areas of the park did you (and your group) visit today? Record responses (with an “X” or check) based on a list of pre-specified activity zones present in most parks including visitor center/facilities, campgrounds, beach/lake areas, picnic areas, courts/fields, trails, significant historical features (e.g., old mill), and significant natural features (e.g., river, mountain). If other areas are utilized (playgrounds, etc.) note this in the “Other/Notes” column. You can also add any other notes about the exit survey or your interaction with the visitor(s) in that last column. 3. Conclude the interaction as follows: “Thanks for answering my questions. I hope you enjoyed your visit today, and we hope to see you back at the park again soon.” During and/or after each interaction, be sure to record all responses on the exit survey data sheet before moving on to survey people in the next car. And don’t forget to record the number of people and type of vehicle (e.g., visitor or service/work vehicle) for ALL of the exiting cars that you don’t survey too. PAGE 9PAGE 39NC STATE PARK SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF VISITORS PER VEHICLE