Evaluating commonly used tools to quantify human activity for protected area management

Abstract Recreation in protected areas (PAs) is growing worldwide, potentially conflicting with wildlife and ecosystem protection. Efficiently estimating human activity in PAs is crucial for balancing a dual mandate of supporting visitor access and biodiversity, but managers lack clear recommendations about the conditions under which specific tools are more effective for monitoring spatial and temporal trends in human activity associated with recreation. Through two case studies, we assessed key tools commonly used for measuring human activity related to non‐consumptive outdoor recreation in PAs: camera traps, day passes, trail counters and user‐contributed geographical data from Strava and AllTrails. We measured human activity across multiple scales and compared estimates of spatial and temporal activity within and between PAs. Correlations among the results from the different tools were strong across PAs and suggested that a combination of tools may be best suited to understanding finer scale trends within parks. Individual tools, and their combination, can be tailored to specific research and management goals. Synthesis and applications: Our case studies provide insights into the effectiveness of tools for measuring human activity in PAs and can inform practitioners and researchers about how the tools can be used to address management decisions. As tools varied in their strengths and weaknesses, the widespread adoption of multiple, integrated measures of human activity is needed to develop evidence‐based park management strategies, benefitting both humans and nature. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.