Abstract

The study, focused on two sites in North Alabama - Chapman Mountain Nature Preserve (CMNP) and Monte Sano State Park (MSSP), sought to explore site visitation patterns, visitor demographics, visitors’ perspectives, and the perceived benefits and challenges associated with these locations. The concept of community engagement to achieve sustainable development goals was also investigated. A convenient sample of users was invited to complete a questionnaire at the end of their visit. Fifty-nine users participated, 50% identifying as female and 48% as male. The others (2%) did not gender identify. Among respondents, 53% visited CMNP, whereas 47% visited MSSP. Most respondents (84%) identified as Caucasian, while 16% identified as Non-Caucasian. Additionally, 61% of participants reported having at least a bachelor’s degree. Analysis of the relationship between site visitation and perceived stress revealed a slight negative correlation (r(52) = −0.103, p = 0.457), suggesting that increased visitation might be associated with slightly reduced stress levels. However, this finding was not statistically significant. Notably, African-American participants (n = 3) reported moderate stress levels (average ~19 points), while other racial groups reported lower stress levels (average ~11 points). However, the small sample size of African-American participants limits the generalizability of these findings. Visitors rated CMNP slightly higher than MSSP in terms of the condition of facilities and overall experiences.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.