Outdoor recreation in a changing climate: Visitors’ impacts, coping strategies, and intent to return to Parks and Protected Areas in New Hampshire, USA
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Across the United States (U.S.), outdoor recreation participation has steadily increased over the past 15 years, reaching a record-breaking 175.8 million participants in 2023. Simultaneously, each year since 1976, the Earth's annual average surface temperature has exceeded the 20th-century mean. Research suggests that the Northeast and North Central regions of the contiguous U.S. are projected to experience the most climate-related changes in outdoor recreation participation. Resource managers and researchers are eager to better understand how climate change affects visitors' behaviors in Parks and Protected Areas (PPAs). This mixed-methods study examined New Hampshire (NH) residential visitors' perceptions of environmental and infrastructural impacts associated with annual changes in climate conditions representative of long-term trends (e.g., extreme weather events, water/wildlife, forest/foliage, season-specific conditions) and their effects on visitor coping behaviors and intent to return in NH PPAs. Web-based survey data (n = 1364) were collected in winter 2023 as part of the New Hampshire Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (NH SCORP). Findings revealed that visitors perceived climate-related impacts across all areas measured as predominantly negative, particularly in relation to winter recreation. Structural equation modeling showed that winter, summer, water/wildlife, and extreme weather conditions significantly influence visitor coping behaviors and intent to return to NH PPAs, with summer impacts uniquely bypassing coping and producing a direct negative effect on intent to return. As climate conditions continue to shift, embedding visitor behavioral data into statewide recreation planning frameworks offers a transferable model for PPAs navigating the intersection of climate adaptation and outdoor recreation management.
Institutions: University of New Hampshire, University of Edinburgh
Language: English
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,340
Awards: RII Track-2 FEC: Leveraging Intelligent Informatics and Smart Data for Improved Understanding of Northern Forest Ecosystem Resiliency (INSPIRES), RII Track-4: Next Generation Climate Modeling of Winter Climate in the United States, RII Track-4: Winter Weather Whiplash and its Impacts on Socio-Ecological Systems
OpenAlex ID: W7161484053