MiddleJoffre Lake

UpperJoffre Lake

JOFFRE LAKEPARK

LowerJoffre Lake

Duffey Lake Rd

Joffre Lakes Provincial Park Survey

Results

JOFFRE LAKES PROVINCIAL PARK | 2019 VISITOR USE MANAGEMENT SURVEY RESULTS2

2019 Joffre Lakes Provincial Park Survey ResultsENGAGEMENT SUMMARY

Recreation and tourism growth in the Sea to Sky region has been accelerating since the improvement of the Sea to Sky Highway and the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. The Sea to Sky Highway has over 3 MILLION travellers per year, with most visitors seeking a nature-based recreation experience. This increase in tourism is reflected in the exponential increase in attendance at many provincial parks in the region, particularly Joffre Lakes Park.

In 2018, 183,000 people visited the park; this represents a 168% increase in park attendance since 2010. As a result of this growth, First Nations, the regional district, municipalities, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and the public have all raised concerns regarding sustainable recreation and tourism and have expressed concerns for public safety along the highway near Joffre Lakes Park.

In April 2019, BC Parks launched a public online survey to solicit input on measures to improve public safety and management of the park. The survey was available on the BC Parks website and promoted through social media and other channels.

ENGAGEMENT TIMEFRAME

April 1 – April 30 2019

RESPONSE RATE

2,568 responses were received

JOFFRE LAKES PROVINCIAL PARK | 2019 VISITOR USE MANAGEMENT SURVEY RESULTS 3

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF SURVEY RESULTS

Survey respondents were primarily:

` from the Lower Mainland,

` between the ages of 25 and 34, and

` occasional visitors to the park.

When asked what their main motivations were for visiting Joffre Lakes, the top three responses from respondents were to seek a nature experience, for the scenic view, and for physical activity.

Level of outdoor experience varied from intermediate to expert, with most respondents reporting they spent between four and seven hours in the park per trip, and travelled to Third Lake.

Word-of-mouth was the primary way that respondents learned of the park, with most citing the BC Parks website as the best way to provide information about the park.

Themes of safety and sustainable recreation use were clearly important to respondents. A variety of suggestions were provided to improve pedestrian safety, parking capacity, and park management. The majority of respondents were willing to pay a day-use fee provided it improved park management and facilities. Introducing a cap on visitation or a permit system as a tool to reduce crowding and congestion on the trail was supported by a significant amount of respondents.

INPUT LEADS TO ACTION

The Visitor Use Management Action Plan was released on June 25, 2019. The plan focuses on priority actions for 2019 with a longer-term Visitor Use Management Strategy to be developed and released in 2020. Input received from the public survey and key stakeholders helped inform the Action Plan and will also be considered when developing the longer-term strategy.

BC Parks is also conducting trailhead surveys in both winter and summer 2019 at the Joffre Lakes Park trailhead to ensure we are gathering information from park users who may not have filled out the online survey.

The link to the Visitor Use Management Action Plan is located here: http://bcparks.ca/parks/joffre-lakes/

JOFFRE LAKES PROVINCIAL PARK | 2019 VISITOR USE MANAGEMENT SURVEY RESULTS4

Summary of Responses Received from the Online Survey

JOFFRE LAKES PROVINCIAL PARK | 2019 VISITOR USE MANAGEMENT SURVEY RESULTS 5

Section 1: Demographics

QUESTION 1: WHAT IS YOUR AGE?

QUESTION 2 : JOFFRE LAKES PARK ATTRACTS BOTH LOCAL VISITORS AND THOSE VISITING FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

JOFFRE LAKES PROVINCIAL PARK | 2019 VISITOR USE MANAGEMENT SURVEY RESULTS6

QUESTION 3: HOW OFTEN HAVE YOU VISITED JOFFRE LAKES PARK?

QUESTION 4: WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOTIVATIONS FOR VISITING JOFFRE LAKES?

Under “Other (please specify)”, other popular motivations for visiting Joffre Lakes Park included:

` Backcountry excursions;

` Mountaineering;

` Hiking;

` Skiing; and,

` Camping.

JOFFRE LAKES PROVINCIAL PARK | 2019 VISITOR USE MANAGEMENT SURVEY RESULTS 7

QUESTION 5: WHAT IS YOUR LEVEL OF OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE?

QUESTION 6: HOW LONG DO YOU USUALLY VISIT THE PARK FOR?

QUESTION 7: WHAT IS YOUR PRIMARY DESTINATION WHEN YOU VISIT JOFFRE LAKES PARK?

JOFFRE LAKES PROVINCIAL PARK | 2019 VISITOR USE MANAGEMENT SURVEY RESULTS8

Section 2: Communication

QUESTION 8: WHEN YOU’VE VISITED JOFFRE LAKES PARK IN THE PAST, WHERE DID YOU GET YOUR INFORMATION FROM IN ORDER TO PREPARE FOR YOUR VISIT?

Under “Other (specify below)”, other popular sources of information respondents referenced to gain information on Joffre Lakes Park included:

` Books; and

` Trail websites.

QUESTION 9: WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO YOU ABOUT THE PARK?

Under “Other (please specify)”, additional suggested ways to provide information to visitors were through:

` Third party trail websites;

` Books; and,

` Local media.

JOFFRE LAKES PROVINCIAL PARK | 2019 VISITOR USE MANAGEMENT SURVEY RESULTS 9

Section 3: Park Values

QUESTION 10: WHICH VALUES AND CONCERNS SHOULD BC PARKS CONSIDER WHEN PLANNING IMPROVEMENTS IN JOFFRE LAKES PARK?

The top values and concerns noted by respondents included:

` Safety of park visitors and safe highway conditions;

` Sustainable recreation use;

` Preserving the feeling of a wilderness experience with limited facility development; and

` Reduction of crowding on trails and at trailheads.

Section 4: Parking

QUESTION 11: PLEASE SHARE YOUR MOST RECENT PARKING EXPERIENCE AT JOFFRE LAKES PARK

0.3%

JOFFRE LAKES PROVINCIAL PARK | 2019 VISITOR USE MANAGEMENT SURVEY RESULTS10

Section 5: Preliminary ideas for improvements

QUESTION 12: THE FOLLOWING POTENTIAL PEDESTRIAN SAFETY, PARKING CAPACITY, AND TRAFFIC SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS COULD BE CONSIDERED AT JOFFRE LAKES PARK. PLEASE IDENTIFY YOUR LEVEL OF SUPPORT FOR EACH IDEA.

From the list provided to respondents, the top supported ideas were:

` Enforcement of no parking areas (i.e. ticket and/or tow vehicles parked on highway);

` Designate overnight parking; and,

` Carpooling incentives to reduce the number of vehicles.

The ideas that were least supported by respondents included:

` Creating zones with limited parking time

` Creating additional parking areas

` Creating a separate bus/RV only parking area

QUESTION 13: DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC IDEAS OR CONSIDERATIONS FOR IMPROVING PEDESTRIAN SAFETY, PARKING CAPACITY, AND TRAFFIC SAFETY?

The most common suggestions were:

` Creating day-use permits;

` Pay parking; and,

` Creating additional hiking trails to distribute use.

Additional suggestions were:

` Creating a safe walkway from the secondary parking lot to the main lot;

` Posting messaging informing visitors when the parking lot is full;

` Reducing the number of tour buses; and

` Improving roadside signage.

JOFFRE LAKES PROVINCIAL PARK | 2019 VISITOR USE MANAGEMENT SURVEY RESULTS 11

Section 6: Park Management

QUESTION 14: WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO PAY A DAY-USE FEE TO ENTER THE PARK IF YOU KNEW THE MONEY WAS BEING REINVESTED BACK INTO THE PARK?

Under “Other (please specify)”, additional comments about day-use fees included:

` Importance of having funding directed to the park;

` Fees should be associated with peak season;

` Access to the park should be free for locals/Indigenous communities;

` Fees should be tied to parking;

` A “per-car” fee should be considered;

` Fees should be by donation;

` Season passes should be available;

` Fees may be an economic barrier to some users;

` Funds should support local Search and Rescue; and

` Displacement may occur, people may choose to visit other areas that do not have a fee.

JOFFRE LAKES PROVINCIAL PARK | 2019 VISITOR USE MANAGEMENT SURVEY RESULTS12

QUESTION 15: IF SO, WHAT AMOUNT WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO PAY PER PERSON?

QUESTION 16: DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC IDEAS OR SUGGESTIONS FOR PARK INVESTMENTS/NEW FACILITIES?

The most common suggestions were:

` Installation of additional washrooms and garbage bins;

` Creation of an information kiosk;

` Development of additional trails within the park; and

` Increased cleaning of facilities and trails.

Additional suggestions were:

` Creation of a look-out at Third Lake and First Lake;

` Installation of benches;

` Installation of boardwalks;

` Creation of camping platforms;

` Construction of additional campsites;

` RV parking;

` Increased parking;

` Additional bear caches; and

` Environmental restoration.

JOFFRE LAKES PROVINCIAL PARK | 2019 VISITOR USE MANAGEMENT SURVEY RESULTS 13

QUESTION 17: WHEN YOU VISITED JOFFRE LAKES PARK IN THE PAST, DID YOU FEEL THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE YOU ENCOUNTERED IN THE PARK HAD A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON YOUR VISIT?

Under “If yes, then how and where?” some respondents provided additional detail, noting specifically that the number of people encountered in the park led to a negative experience through:

` Congestion and crowding;

` Encountering unprepared visitors;

` Drones disturbing quiet space;

` Music disturbing quiet space;

` Human waste;

` Lack of outdoor etiquette;

` Facilities do not match the level of use, and are often un-clean; and

` Line-ups and bottlenecks on the trail.

JOFFRE LAKES PROVINCIAL PARK | 2019 VISITOR USE MANAGEMENT SURVEY RESULTS14

QUESTION 18: WOULD YOU AGREE WITH LIMITING THE NUMBER OF DAY VISITORS IN THE PARK IF IT MEANT YOU’D ENCOUNTER FEWER VISITORS AND YOU WERE GUARANTEED EASIER ACCESS?

QUESTION 19: DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC IDEAS OR SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING PARK MANAGEMENT AT JOFFRE LAKES PARK?

Respondents provided the following top four suggestions for improving park management:

` Don’t advertise the park;

` Increase education;

` Increase staff levels; and

` Create a day-use permit system.

MiddleJoffre Lake

UpperJoffre Lake

JOFFRE LAKEPARK

LowerJoffre Lake

Duffey Lake Rd