Youth Visitor Trends in United States National Parks: A Preliminary Study

Recent media reports have suggested that members of the Millennial Generation (born 1981–1997) and Generation Z (born 1997–2012) are less inclined to visit national parks, compared to older generations. We used three methods to examine the validity of these media statements: Qualtrics-based social media surveys, face-to-face semi-structured interviews with park rangers and local business owners at eight United States national parks, and on-site visitor counts at visitor centers and on trails at these same eight parks. We compared these observations with the limited historical data on visitor ages available from the National Park Service. Our results suggest that media reports are overstated and that the number of both Millennial Generation and Generation Z members visiting national parks is at least stable and perhaps even increasing. Lack of proximity to parks and lack of time, rather than alternative recreational activities such as video games, appear to be the main obstacles to youth visitation at national parks.