{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T03:01:22Z","timestamp":1787022082452,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":13,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,22]],"date-time":"2021-02-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1613952000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"\n Introduction<\/jats:title>\n Visitation to parks and protected areas is a common COVID-19 coping strategy promoted by state and national public health officials and political leadership. Crowding and congestions in parks has been a perennial problem and the ability to socially distance within them is an unproven assumption. Is it possible to socially distance in a busy national park that has been designed to concentrate use?<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methodology\/Principal findings<\/jats:title>\n An observational study was conducted in July 2020 at the outside foyer of the Visitor Center of Arches National Park. Motion sensor cameras were placed to record one-minute videos when a person entered the field of view. Number of groups, group size, facial coverings and encounters within 6 feet (1.83 meters) of other groups were recorded. Groups were smaller on average than recorded in previous studies. Approximately 61% of the visitors wore masks. Most groups (69%) were able to experience the visitor center with no intergroup encounters. We model the probability of intergroup encounters and find as group size and number of groups increases, the probability of encounters rises. With four groups present, the probability of one or more encounters ranges from 19% to 40% for common group sizes, while if eight groups are present, the probability of one or more encounters increases from 34% to 64% for common group sizes.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusions\/Significance<\/jats:title>\n Under conditions in which park visitors have the physical space to avoid close encounters with other groups they are taking advantage of the opportunity. Visitors are minimizing group size, wearing masks, and remaining socially distant. However, encounters increase as the number or the size of the groups increases. In other areas of the parks this ability to avoid encounters may not be as possible. We recommend that park managers continue to appeal for compliance with CDC guidelines, especially the wearing of masks and encouraging visitors to split up into small groups when visiting.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0247315","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,22]],"date-time":"2021-02-22T13:34:26Z","timestamp":1614000866000},"page":"e0247315","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":15,"title":["Observing COVID-19 related behaviors in a high visitor use area of Arches National Park"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9909-1202","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Zachary D.","family":"Miller","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wayne","family":"Freimund","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Douglas","family":"Dalenberg","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Madison","family":"Vega","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0247315.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.5962\/bhl.title.53718","volume-title":"Our national parks","author":"J Muir","year":"1901"},{"key":"pone.0247315.ref002","unstructured":"Brune M. Pulling down our monuments [Internet]. 2020 Jul [cited 2021 Jan 27]. Available from https:\/\/www.sierraclub.org\/michael-brune\/2020\/07\/john-muir-early-history-sierra-club"},{"key":"pone.0247315.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5","DOI":"10.2979\/rptph.4.1.02","article-title":"Examining Health Promotion in Parks: A Cross-National Inquiry of Healthy Parks Healthy People Programs","volume":"4","author":"WL Rice","year":"2020","journal-title":"Recreation, Parks, and Tourism in Public Health"},{"key":"pone.0247315.ref004","author":"M Wiley","year":"2020","journal-title":"What the 10 most visited national parks in the U.S. have said about their plans to reopen, from opening in phases to implementing social distancing guidelines"},{"key":"pone.0247315.ref005","author":"N Rott","year":"2020","journal-title":"\u2018We had to get out\u2019: Despite the risks, business is booming at national parks"},{"key":"pone.0247315.ref006","author":"Z Podmore","year":"2020","journal-title":"Crowds cause Arches National Park to shut gate just three hours after opening"},{"key":"pone.0247315.ref007","volume-title":"The State of Utah\u2019s Travel and Tourism Industry 2019","author":"J Leaver","year":"2020"},{"key":"pone.0247315.ref008","unstructured":"National Park Service. NPS Public Health Update [Internet]. 2020 May [cited 2021 Jan 27]. Available from https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/aboutus\/news\/public-health-update.htm"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0247315.ref009","first-page":"41","article-title":"The visitor experience and resource protection (VERP) process: The application of carrying capacity to Arches National Park","volume":"12","author":"RE Manning","year":"1995","journal-title":"The George Wright Forum"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0247315.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"305","DOI":"10.1016\/S0301-4797(03)00094-X","article-title":"Proactive monitoring and adaptive management of social carrying capacity in Arches National Park: an application of computer simulation modeling","volume":"68","author":"SR Lawson","year":"2003","journal-title":"Journal of Environmental Management"},{"key":"pone.0247315.ref011","unstructured":"Center for Disease Control. Visiting parks and recreation facilities [Internet]. 2020 May [cited 2021 Jan 27]. Available from https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/daily-life-coping\/visitors.html"},{"key":"pone.0247315.ref012","unstructured":"Board of Health In and For Southeast Utah Health Department. COVID-19 Pandemic within Utah [Internet]. 2020 July [cited 2021 Jan 27]. Available from https:\/\/bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com\/moabsunnews.com\/content\/tncms\/assets\/v3\/editorial\/c\/99\/c990ab1e-c160-11ea-8df3-4b3eb8ab3319\/5f0638a27ea85.pdf.pdf"},{"key":"pone.0247315.ref013","unstructured":"RSG Environmental Consulting. Arches National Park Visitor Study: Summer 2016. Technical report submitted to the National Park Service. 2017. Available from https:\/\/irma.nps.gov\/DataStore\/DownloadFile\/603831"}],"container-title":["PLOS ONE"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0247315","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,22]],"date-time":"2021-02-22T13:34:54Z","timestamp":1614000894000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0247315"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Itamar","family":"Ashkenazi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"editor"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,22]]},"references-count":13,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,22]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0247315","relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1932-6203","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,22]]}}}