What We Know about Crowding and Visitor Experiences

Questions and concerns have been raised about the crowding issues in Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, as well as the perception of crowding on Montana’s rivers, trails, and other public resources. Crowding, or the perception of crowding, is both an individual evaluation and a cultural conditioning not easily understood from the psychological perspective. This white paper provides a summary of crowding research to help clarify perceptions of, reactions to, and solutions for crowding in natural areas