Rattlesnake National Recreation Area and Wilderness (RNRAW): Visitor survey data from 2022-2023

These data describe a visitor use assessment administered May 2022 through February 2023 in the Rattlesnake National Recreation Area and Wilderness (RNRAW) and City of Missoula Conservation Lands in Missoula, Montana. A visitor survey and GPS tracking were used to spatially quantify visitor flows and components of the visitor experience. The visitor survey included questions about trip characteristics, respondents’ demographics, activity type, environmental and social perceptions, and opinions regarding policy and management issues. GPS data summarized visitors’ total distance of travel, mean speed, and duration of visit.
This study was designed to provide comprehensive assessment of visitor use in the Rattlesnake National Recreation Area and Wilderness and proximate wildlands for use in addressing management challenges arising from increased use, including increased recreation density, parking scarcity and pedestrian safety concerns. The study also explored factors related to users’ level of place attachment and activity involvement theories.
For more information about this assessment and these data, see Rice and Armatas (2024a, 2024b) and Thomas et al. (2024).