Factors influencing trail use into lakes with tourism values

Abstract

Tourism establishments that are only accessible by float plane are a vital component to northern Ontario‟s economy. The remote nature of the lakes where these establishments are located can be compromised through introduced all-terrain vehicle (ATV) trails that are developed from forest access roads. This study assesses the factors that influence ATV trail use into lakes with tourism establishments that are only accessible via float plane. The study was conducted across northern Ontario using TrafX traffic counters to monitor ATV trail use. Five factors were analyzed; Weekend and corresponding holiday traffic, Trail Length, Lake Size, Accessibility (distance to communities) and the presence Walleye Sander vitreus. It was discovered that trail length was negatively associated with trail use and weekend and corresponding holiday, lake size, and accessibility were positively associated with trail use. These results can help to identify lakes that are of high risk for ATV trail use and, thus, might require more management and enforcement efforts.