Home

During two sampling periods in the winter and summer of 2015 we surveyed 2,250 outdoor recreationists and tourists at a variety of destinations all along the North Shore. We found visitors' sociodemographic characteristics were fairly diverse. Nearly 30% of visitors were under the age of 35. A slightly smaller proportion of visitors (28%) were over 55 years old. Additionaly, 30% of visitors have incomes above $100,000 per year.

The most common recreational activities in summer were scenic driving, hiking, visiting cultural sites and swimming. In winter, the most common recreational activitites were scenic driving, hiking and downhill skiing.

Yes. An overwhelming majority of both winter and summer visitors indicated they are either 'very sure' or 'extremely sure' that climate change is occuring.

Over 87% of visitors said they were at least 'somewhat likely' to keep their travel plans the same if the North Shore's natural resources were to be affected by climate change. By comparison, only 15% of visitors said they were at least 'somewhat likely' to visit less in the future if resource conditions were to change. Only 11% of visitors said they were at least 'somewhat likely' to cancel all of their trips to the North Shore for the season if resource conditions were to change.

Yes. Many visitors are at least 'somewhat likely' to go somewhere else if the North Shore's forest composition (42%) and wildlife populations (38%) were to change.

• - Shifting demand for winter outdoor recreation along the North Shore of Lake Superior under variable rates of climate change: A finite-mixture modeling approach. (2016). Ecological Economics, 123 , 1-13.