Lessons Learned for Using Camera Traps to Understand Human Recreation: A Case Study from the Northern Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada

Human recreation is an increasingly popular activity; however, an increase in recreational pressure in wilderness areas can contribute to issues such as human–wildlife conflict, introduction of invasive species, vegetation and soil degradation, riparian area impacts, and anthropogenic waste. While remote camera studies are frequently used to assess the response of wildlife species (i.e., grizzly bears) or ecosites (i.e., coastal sand dunes) to human recreational disturbance, classifying and quantifying human recreational behavior, including differences in spatial, temporal, and recreation types, is less common and presents unique design challenges. Here, we present our practical design considerations and lessons learned from a study quantifying human recreation along trails in the northern Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada. We describe our standardized protocol to deploy our camera array, and image classification and analysis of recreation use by type and group size. Finally, we provide practical recommendations for future work attempting to evaluate human recreation in wilderness settings relative to landscape management outcomes.