"Examining pathways for front-country camping access in the rural Ameri" by Hayley Ann Johnson

Year of Award

2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Name

Parks, Tourism and Recreation Management

Department or School/College

Society and Conservation

Committee Chair

Dr. William L. Rice

Commitee Members

Dr. Hilary O. Faxon, Dr. Ethan S. Walker

Keywords

camping, access theory, recreation management

Subject Categories

Leisure Studies | Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration

Abstract

Access to front-country camping on North American public lands has historically been preferential to those who are White, relatively wealthy, and highly educated. In theory, however, all activities on public lands are available to all people, and everyone has equal right to enjoy the benefits from recreational activities like camping in these spaces. Since the 1960s, research on access has focused on the barriers, or constraints, that influence overall participation in leisure activities; however, few studies have examined access specific to front-country camping.

As a complement and extension of traditional leisure constraints theory, this study presents a unique application of access theory (as proposed by Jesse Ribot and Nancy Peluso, 2003) to examine who has access to front-country camping and how front-country campers gain access to camping in the rural American West. Ribot and Peluso’s conceptualization of access focuses on the “ability” rather than the “right” to benefit, and this theory suggests there are several mechanisms of access (i.e., pathways) that mediate how people directly or indirectly benefit from things like camping. In this quantitative study, an on-site survey of campers at Curecanti National Recreation Area in Gunnison, Colorado was utilized to answer the following research questions: 1) What are the mechanisms of access that enable campers to access front-country camping in a remote recreation area popular among anglers in rural Western United States? 2) Do the mechanisms of access vary between different age groups of campers? 3) Do the mechanisms of access vary between first-come, first-served campers and advanced reservation-based campers? Results identified technology, social relations, social identity, capital, knowledge, and rights-based access as six important pathways to accessing front-country camping across the entire study sample. Significant differences were also found across different age groups of campers and across campers staying in campsites that employed different rationing techniques in how enabling these pathways were. The results of this exploratory study suggest the need to incorporate access theory into future leisure studies examining outdoor recreation access to especially understand how power relations play a role in shaping who gets to access these leisure opportunities. This will be a key contribution for public land managers who strive to serve the greatest good by facilitating inclusive and equitable access to the broadest extent possible among the American public.

Available for download on Friday, May 01, 2026

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© Copyright 2025 Hayley Ann Johnson