Diamond Head Trail Recreationists and Their Environmental Impact

Today I arrived at Haleakala National Park to visit for two days. This island is located on the east side of Maui, Haleakala is 33,233 acres. Haleakala means, “House of the Sun” in Hawaiian. Every year Haleakala has over 1.4 million visitors. This year I am one of the lucky visitors to explore this National Park. Made up of a volcano, mountains and beaches this is going to be an adventure so I’m keeping a journal about my adventure at Haleakala National Park. The park is divided into two areas, the summit and coastal Kipahulu area. I will journal about the elevation of the summit and the coastal area Kipahulu.

Werner, D. (1999). Backpacker’s start-up: A beginner’s guide to hiking and backpacking. Chula Vista, CA; Start-Up Sports/ Tracks Publishing.

As you are no doubt well aware, this entire project has been a labor of love for Matt and I. As a group we ran into one road block after another. If nothing else, this project has taught me that everything will not go smoothly, no matter how good the intensions and how to persevere in the face of adversity.

The TVA has turned portions of its large land mass into recreational facilities and areas for societal use. To do this, the TVA "[maintains] beautiful reservoirs, campgrounds, trails, whitewater streams and over 300,000 acres of devolved and undeveloped lands for [us] to play on," (3). On the 13th of November 2015, local headlines were showcasing the recent season for TVA campgrounds and visitor centers. They were successful in having close to 100,000 people go through their centers and exploring the beautiful areas. This is just a piece of physical evidence that proves that the TVA is still currently fulfilling its mission to improve the quality of life of citizens and the environment, by maintaining its overall

People who use the trails spend money on food, beverages, lodging, bike and skate rentals, and other items. Studies have shown that trail users have generated up to $1.25 million per year for towns through which a trail passes. Furthermore, in most areas, realtors say that sales of homes near a rail trail have increased significantly. The chart below shows the results of a survey conducted in an Indiana community. As you can see, most residents in the community reacted positively to the rail-trail and believed that the rail-trail helped increase the value of their

During the “backpacking boom” of the 1970s when there was a growing understanding about the natural environment beginning to be consumed at what had appeared to be an alarming rate, many groups of people began to take on the trail for long periods of time. (Cosmo) Trails that were previously only visited by few people because very well known locations. During this time, there was very little maintainance of the trails and even less education of visitors. People were hiking merely to take a break from the world around them. “What was once an experience where solitude was virtually guaranteed, became more and more a social event as more and more of us tried to.” (Cosmo) After some time, many hikers and trail managers grew concerned about the future of the trail and began trying to accommodate the growing number of hikers, while also protecting the Trails natural environment. After starting to upgrade popular campsites and trails to make them more durable, most hikers began to gain knowledge about how to take care of the trails while enjoying them. “Since the 1980’s the AT has been managed so that ‘Hiker regulations will be kept as unrestrictive as possible, and should be developed only to the extent they are proven necessary to protect the physical trail, its environment, and the interests of adjacent landowners.’ (from the Appalachian Trail Comprehensive Plan, 1981)”

Geographical Review, vol. 84, no. 3, 1994, pp. 290–305. The content of the source above includes historical information about the establishment of Muir Woods National Monument. Furthermore, this source includes information of preservation efforts at the park since the 1980’s, starting with the release of a National Park survey that categorized threats to national parks, including Muir Woods, into three categories, biological, visitor capacity, and purpose of the area.

Many a time the hazards that loom on the horizon present a striking and beautiful view. As humans, people cannot live their lives in fear of things they have no control over. Local communities plus the federal government, and global nations can prepare for disasters, create emergency supply kits and organize family emergency plans. Regional parks near volcanoes can keep lake and reservoir water levels low to mitigate mudslides and avalanches. But no matter what one may do to prepare for disasters, they will happen, and nothing can keep one from occurring. The residents of the area surrounding Mt. St. Helens must understand that the volcano still poses a threat and it could erupt at any

It can take some time to complete The Subway – Zion National Park, so make sure to pack enough fluid and high fuel foods to keep the energy up.West Rim Trail – Lava Point

America today has become an unhealthy nation and the disconnect from nature can be at blame. In the book the women states to Bill, “She said you guys were a couple of overweight wimps who didn't know the first thing about hiking and that she was tired of carrying you." (Bryson) From this quote it can be understood that many of us would like to think of American’s as dumb and fat. Nature needs to be reestablished as part of out lifestyle in order to create healthier living. Going for a walk on a trail, paddling a canoe, going bird watching or even finishing is not part of the American lifestyle any longer. For many on weekends as Americans the choice of watching television would come before camping for the weekend. Being outdoors can inspire

From athletes to parents and other members of the Medomak community, everyone enjoys the Neil Lash Nature Trail. Used extensively by the high school and middle school cross country teams for practice, as well as their race track for meets, the Medomak Valley nature trail is used and enjoyed by all. It is a common sight for a runner to pass a group of young kids enjoying the outdoors, or to see people young and old enjoying a pleasant walk on the ADA compliant trail. The trail was completed in 2011. The Neil Lash Nature Trail is named after a wonderful teacher at MVHS who invested and has continued to maintain and develop this pristine and scenic trail. The nature trail is just one of many ways that MVHS is embracing the outdoors. The newly

Charles C. Deam Wilderness Area consists of nearly 13,000 acres of “Wilderness” a special designation that places it under the wilderness act of 1964. This wilderness area is managed to protect the area and provide solitude for its visitors. There is more than 35 miles of backpacking, hiking and horseback riding trails. There is camping in the Charles C. Deam Wilderness Area but many restrictions are in place to help preserve the land and natural beauty, so please check the forest service website for more information about camping before heading out.

When it comes to the topic of ecotourism, most of us will readily agree that it is a less harmful alternative to mass-tourism and that it promotes responsible and low-impact travel to areas where flora, fauna and cultural heritage are the primary drawing power. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of what the impact of ecotourism actually is and what its long-term consequences are. Whereas some are convinced that ecotourism provides the basis for sustainable development, particularly in places that suffer from exploitation and excessive resources’ usage, and that could only improve the general conditions of the local people, others maintain that we are still far from true ecotourism, for many are those in the

With Hawaii’s economy being dependant on tourism and the main source of employment, it is important for DMOs ensure its attractions and services are maintained. The beaches are Hawaii’s most popular attractions but are in danger due to erosion and pollution. Erosion is a major environmental issue that affects many of Hawaii’s most famous beaches and is a natural phenomenon. However, the building of structures on the coastline and the formation of sea-walls can speed up the affects. This can impact on the marine life, coral reefs and water quality. As the most popular activities for tourists are based in natural surroundings, it is important to not only ensure the safety of tourists but to maintain the natural environment for future generations. In response, Hawaiian DMOs and environmental government organisations work closely to: educate visitors and residents, regulate what activities tourist can and cannot do in specific areas, organise beach clean-ups and plan beach maintenance strategies. Some

For example in the article “The Most Important Rule” it talks about how there's a website where you can enter where you're hiking and what time your coming back, “ If you fail to respond to a text from the HikerAlert website, designated emergency contacts entered when the account was created”. Organizing and planning your hiking journey, more likely for you, you will have a better hiking experience than Aron and Amos, just remember you tell someone before you're going alone on an adventure.