A Visitor and Economic Impact Analysis of Barnwell Mountain Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area and Effects on the Surrounding Communities

his study provided opportunity for awareness of the economic impact of one recreation site on a local community and surrounding area. Through the development of a visitor characterized survey, data collection, data analysis, and result findings, this research identified the general visitor population of Barnwell Mountain Recreation Area (BMRA), including age, gender, ethnicity, education, income levels, and expenditures of visitors during their visit. Most visitors stayed at BMRA an average of 1--4 days, thus when exercising the cost-benefit ratio, money from the visitor for necessary accommodations are injected into the local community and surrounding area. The identified spending habits of BMRA visitors indicate an annual economic impact of...