The efficacy of side-hill campsites as a management strategy: Lessons learned from a 17-year study

As part of a collaborative long-term adaptive management program, this study examines the efficacy of a new sustainable camping management strategy whereby protected area managers select and actively encourage or require visitors to camp on excavated "side-hill" campsites in sloping terrain. One of the most degraded camping locations along the popular Appalachian Trail was selected for this 17-year study, involving the closure of 19 existing campsites in flat terrain, with use shifted to 14 newly constructed side-hill campsites in sloping terrain. Side-hill campsites rely on steep off-site slopes to compel visitors to spatially concentrate camping activities, deterring both campsite expansion and proliferation, the two most significant long-term camping management problems for protected area stewards. Results indicate this new practice was highly successful, though some important lessons were learned to enhance its efficacy when applied in other areas.