12-Acre
Closure Book
1:FFDW Org
2:Enabling
3:Survey
6:Erosion
Editor: fortfunston@hotmail.com
Webmaster: Wedosites@mail.com
Survey
of Fort Funston Recreational Use
Karin
Hu">
12-Acre Closure
Book 1:FFDW
Org 2:Enabling 3:Survey 6:Erosion Editor:
fortfunston@hotmail.com Webmaster:
Wedosites@mail.com
Survey
of Fort Funston Recreational Use Karin
Hu, Ph.D., September 2000 Introduction Fort Funston is a part of the Golden Gate National
Recreation Area located in San Francisco. The
National Park Service indicates that Fort Funston is used extensively by
"beachcombers, walkers, hang gliders, paragliders and horseback riders, and
other recreational users," with approximately 750,000 visitors annually
{1}. This study examines the recreational use of Fort Funston. Abstract During August 2000, recreational use of Fort Funston was
measured. Twenty observation
periods, lasting 45-55 minutes each, were completed on weekdays and weekends
between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. A
total of 1629 adult recreational users was counted, averaging 81 recreational
users per observation period. The
results showed that an average of 87 percent of the parties of recreational
users was accompanied by a dog. Several directions for future studies are discussed below,
including examining whether the presence of dogs increases park safety;
accessibility for disabled and senior park users; recreational use during winter
months; and the need for more off-leash GGNRA areas to prevent overcrowding.
Fort Funston currently accommodates more than 5 percent of GGNRA visitors, but
comprises less than 0.3 percent of GGNRA acreage. Method During the month of August 2000, twenty observation periods
were completed. The researchers
traveled a circuit that began in the parking lot, followed the Wood Chip trail
to the north end of the paved Coastal Trail, and returned via the Sunset Trail
to the viewing platform, hang gliders launch area, and parking lot. The
researchers counted every park user observed from these areas. Recreational
users were tabulated individually and in parties. If two or more recreational
users appeared to have arrived in one car, they were considered to be one party,
e.g., a woman and man with two children would be one party. The samples were
taken between August 1-August 31, included each day of the week at least twice,
and each hour from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at least once.
The duration of each observation period was approximately 45-55 minutes. Results A total of 1629 adult recreational users were counted,
comprising an estimated 1175 parties. The average number of recreational users
per each observation period was approximately 81, ranging from 35 to 211 people.
Women comprised 55 percent of the adult users, men 45 percent. The
majority of recreational users were walkers who brought one or more dogs to
accompany them. The percentage of parties accompanied by a dog averaged 87
percent with a range of 74-96 percent per observation period.
If the count was limited to park trails (i.e., all areas north of the
parking lot, and excluding the viewing platform, hang gliders launch area, and
south fields), the percentage of parties accompanied by a dog increased to 91
percent, with a range from 81-100 percent per observation period. The remaining recreational users who were not accompanied by a
dog were engaged in activities such as hang gliding, playing on the sand dunes,
sitting on the benches, walking, jogging, flying model airplanes, kite-flying,
sight-seeing, or riding bikes or scooters.
Discussion The results show that dog walking is an important recreational
activity at Fort Funston. These
findings are consistent with the survey conducted by the National Park Service
(NPS) at Fort Funston in August 1999 {2}. In
that study, Fort Funston visitors were asked two questions: “A) In your
opinion, what is the special significance of this park (e.g., a unique feature
of geology, a particular aspect of history, etc.); and B) Is there anything else
you would like to tell us about your visit?”
Although "dogs" were not specifically mentioned in the
questions, the NPS Survey found that 74 percent of the 118 respondents included
"dogs" in their answers, identifying dogs as a special, positive
significance at Fort Funston, regardless of whether the respondent was a dog
owner. Only 1.6 percent of the
respondents had critical comments about unleashed dogs. This study found that recreational users accompanied by a dog
always comprised at least 74 percent of the park visitors. This may be due to
for several reasons: (1) Fort
Funston offers a recreational space in a densely populated city where an
estimated 38 percent of households has a dog, and (2) beginning in 1996, the
National Park Service has eliminated recreation with off-leash dogs at Lands
End, Fort Miley, Marin Headlands, the Presidio, and parts of Ocean Beach. These
closures have led to a high concentration of dog-walkers at Fort Funston.
Why do people visit Fort Funston? Although Fort Funston offers
spectacular views, hang-gliding, and native plant volunteer opportunities
(on Saturdays), there are few other attractions for visitors, e.g., the
weather is often windy, cold and damp, benches and picnic tables are rare, and
the bathrooms are lacking in number and cleanliness (at least 10 percent of the
respondents in the NPS Survey commented on this). On the other hand, visitors with dogs are highly motivated to
come to Fort Funston, some on a daily basis, regardless of shortcomings, for
several reasons: walking with a
canine "best friend" increases physical and mental fitness for both
the human and dog, a community of other dog walkers offers positive social
interactions, the high-density of park users and the presence of dogs offers a
level of personal safety, there exists an opportunity to enjoy a spectacular
coastal park, and Fort Funston is a clean, safe park, resulting from the efforts
of the Park Rangers and other members of the park community.
Although it might seem surprising that the majority of park
users at Fort Funston engage in one activity, i.e., walking with a dog, there
are comparable majority users in other parks. For example, the Palo Alto
Baylands has birders, Edgewood Park has wildflower enthusiasts, Alcatraz Island
has sightseers, and the Presidio Golf Course has golfers. The results of this study suggest several directions for
future studies. First,
approximately 55 percent of the recreational users were women, most of them were
solitary, accompanied only by a dog. Given
the perception that a woman going to a park alone puts her personal safety at
risk, one might study whether the presence of dogs increases personal safety.
Being accompanied by a dog might offer some protection. In addition, the
presence of off-leash dogs, which can play among the shrubs and forests,
probably makes a park less attractive to vagrants, sexual predators, drunks,
etc. In other GGNRA parks,
for example Milagra Ridge or Presidio Hill, there are fewer park users and no
off-leash dogs. Would a solitary woman feel safe going to these GGNRA sites? Second, the NPS should study the demographics of Fort Funston
recreational users to see if citizen needs are being addressed.
Casual observation indicates that there are a high number of disabled and
senior recreational walkers. Is this comparable to what is seen at other GGNRA
parks? Is there accessibility for these users at Fort Funston? A third study might look at park use during the winter months.
Dog walking is a year-round activity.
People with dogs are seen at Fort Funston even when the weather is cold
or rainy. This study was conducted in August, when the climate is mild, families
have vacation time, and tourism is high. If extrapolated to an annual figure,
the results of this study probably underestimate the percentage of recreational
users with a dog. During the cold,
damp winter months, perhaps the only visitors to Fort Funston are those with
dogs. Last, a study should look at the feasibility of opening more
GGNRA areas to recreational users with off-leash dogs, i.e., making the GGNRA
more amenable to the needs of recreational users. Currently Fort Funston
accommodates approximately 5.3 percent of GGNRA visitors, but comprises less
than 0.3 percent of GGNRA acreage. {1}{3}. Although the presence of many park
users offers a degree of safety and community, overcrowding could lead to
strained resources and increased maintenance costs. It is hoped that the results of this study will contribute
toward building a scientific foundation upon which park policies can be based. References 1. Proposed Habitat Protection Closure, Fort Funston, Golden
Gate National Recreation Area. July
17, 2000 2. [USPROD01339] National Park Service Survey Conducted at
Fort Funston in August 1999. 3. National Park Service Website <www.nps.gov/goga/>.
Quick facts (14,048,085 GGNRA visitors in 1999, 73,690 acres in GGNRA.) Author Note