The Huckleberry Trail
Heritage Park & Trail System
2000 Users Survey: Demographics
The Huckleberry Trail serves a much different constituency than one might
associate with a public recreation facility. If you wander over to the Duck
Pond in Blacksburg or down to the New River edging the McCoy Road, the majority
of users you are likely to see will be predominantly traditional-age college
students. The same group populates the basketball courts, the Drill Field, and
many of the other recreational facilities in Blacksburg and the surrounding
area. This observation, however, does not hold true for the Huckleberry Trail.
On the whole, the June Huckleberry Trail Users Survey showed that trail users
were almost evenly split among men and women, were above college age,were non-students,
and represented a geographic cross-section of the county.
Gender
According to David Scott, manager of research and program evaluation of the
Cleveland (Ohio) Metroparks, there are “fundamental differences in the
way men and women use parks,” differences which are more pronounced when
age is factored in.
Of the 143 trail users who stopped and responded to the survey, 70 were women
(49.3% of overall users) and 71 were men (50% of users). One survey respondent
did not answer the gender question or the answer was not noted by the surveyor
(Figure 3.1) The results from the Huckleberry Trail survey mirror Scott’s
results in terms of time of use, type of use, and feeling of security. Despite
differences, which will be discussed later in this report, it is important to
note that the use of the Huckleberry Trail is almost evenly divided between
men and women, signaling the trail’s across gender appeal.
Age
Huckleberry Trail Users were overwhelmingly above the typical age-range of
college students (18-22 years old), despite the trail’s close proximity
to Virginia Tech. While the survey was conducted during the last two weeks of
June (which indicates a decrease in the number of college students in the area),
university summer sessions typically require a lighter course load, allowing
students more time for recreational activities. Although there may well be an
increase in students using the Huckleberry Trail during the regular school year,
the authors, here, are assuming that a greater number of students were more
likely to be using the trail during the summer because of the decrease in academic
load, a corresponding increase in tome to devote to activities beyond their
course work, and the increase in recreational opportunities.
The survey found that of the 143 trail users surveyed, 69 were between the
ages of 30 and 59 (48.6%,). In addition, there were 47 trail users below the
age of 29 (represented 33.1% of those surveyed), and 21 trail users above the
age of 60 (represented 14.8% of those surveyed). Five of those surveyed did
not respond to the age question or were under 18 (2 respondents). When the survey
looked specifically at narrower age groupings, the authors found that 18-22
year olds represented the smallest group of users (12%), while the largest group
of users, 31%, were people ages 30 to 45. (Figure 3.2)
When gender was factored in, women represented the single largest age-related
user group (25 respondents between the ages of 30 and 45, or 17.5% of trail
users), whereas men between the ages of 18 and 22 represented the smallest group
(7 responders, or 4.9% of trail users). The 60 and above age group saw a statistically
even split between men (7.7%) and women (7.0%). While both men and women had
peak use of the trail in the 30 to 45 year old age group, women saw a sharp
decrease in trail use beyond the age of 45, while the use by men tapered off
far more gradually.
The data suggests that the trail’s primary user group, regardless of
gender, is between the ages of 30 and 45. This may well be the result of a number
of factors that have little to do with age. The survey was conducted during
the last two weeks of June. Although one would assume that trail use would increase
during the summers, patterns of use could be affected by changes in behavioral
patterns and time constraints brought about by children’s presence at home
(where one or both parents are less likely to be pursuing individual recreational
opportunities), summer vacation, or decreases in specific age-related populations
(students, retirees, etc.).
Interestingly enough, trail usage, by age, is not proportionate to either
the population of Montgomery County as a whole or to the specific census tracts
(201, 202, 207, and 211) bordering the Huckleberry Trail (Figure 3.3). While
those under the age of 30 represents 62.6% of the population in the census tracts,
the same age group represents only 32.4% of total trail users. On the other
hand, those over 30 represent a higher percentage of trail users (67.6%) but
make up only 37.4% of the population for the same census tracts.
Student Status
In addition, respondents were asked whether or not they were college students.
Of those responding, 69.0% were not enrolled in a college or university, with
the remaining 24.6% split between traditional college-aged and non-traditionally
college-aged students and graduate students. The majority of student users,
in fact, fell outside of the traditional age-range of college-students. Of the
29 respondents who identified themselves as college students, only 14 (9.8%
of trail users) fell within the traditional age-range of 18-22. Eleven
were between the ages of 23 and 29, and the remaining five were between the
ages of 30 and 45, accounting for 53.3% of students interviewed and 11.2% of
overall trail users (just slightly lower than the total number of 18-22 year
old trail users, regardless of student/non-student status).
Geographic Distribution
Geographically, trail users represented a broad slice of Montgomery County
residents; however the survey found that the trail was far more likely to be
used when it had a close geographic proximity to residential areas within a
given jurisdiction. In Blacksburg, the Huckleberry Trail runs through or near
residential areas and begins at town center, which means that users are not
required to drive to a trail access point. Not surprisingly, Blacksburg residents
made up the largest portion (47.9%) of those who use the Huckleberry Trail.
In Montgomery County, which provided 20% of the users, the trail, again, runs
through or near residential areas. The portion of the Huckleberry Trail in Christiansburg
neither borders nor is in close proximity to residential areas, and trail usage
drops to 12.1% of overall users. Of all of the access points to the Huckleberry
Trail, only the Christiansburg entrance is in an area which has heavy vehicular
traffic and no direct residential access. This does not mean that there is any
less interest in trail usage in Christiansburg, but does suggest that non-vehicular,
residential access is an important factor in determining where to place access
points to a trail.
Not all of the users were, in fact, from Montgomery County. Surprisingly,
17.1% of users were not county residents (10% from other Virginia locations
and 7.1% from locations outside of Virginia), indicating that the Huckleberry
Trail appeals to not only those who reside in the county, but also appeals to
those visiting the county
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