TRENDS

Walking Identified as Illinois' Most
Popular Outdoor Recreational Activity

A survey conducted for the Department of Conservation shows that many Illinois adults recreate vigorously by swimming or bicycling, but even more experience the outdoors less strenuously through pleasure walking, sight-seeing, picnicking and observing wildlife.

The survey was conducted by the Survey Research Laboratory of the University of Illinois, which interviewed a random sample of 1,001 adult residents in Illinois by telephone in late 1991. Similar surveys were conducted in 1989, 1987 and 1985 and another is planned for 1994. The survey was conducted as part of the Conservation Department's Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Planning program, which helps the state qualify for federal Land and Water Conservation Fund monies.

The survey showed pleasure walking as the most popular outdoor recreational activity, with nearly 75% of respondents saying they participated in it within the preceding 12 months. More than 62% reported they engaged in pleasure driving/sightseeing and 56% said they picnicked.

A majority of respondents, 50.9% said they had taken time within the preceding 12 months to observe wildlife or birdwatch. Of those participants, 53.5% said they most often did so in their own yards and 46.5% elsewhere, either at a park, in the neighborhood or at a place some distance away.

Among other recreational experiences, the 1991 survey showed swimming is enjoyed by many Illinoisans, with 48.1% swimming at outdoor pools and 28.3% swimming at other outdoor settings including lakes. The survey showed 42.6% of adults participating in bicycling, 30.8% in fishing, 28.1% in softball/baseball and 27% in running/jogging.

Motor boating is enjoyed by 24.9% of Illinois adults, golfing by 21.5% and hiking by 18.5%.

Other outdoor activities enjoyed by Illinois adults include outdoor basketball, tennis, tent camping, water skiing, off-road vehicle use, ice skating, canoeing, vehicle camping, horseback riding, downhill skiing, rock or fossil collecting, hunting, sailing, backpacking, soccer, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, ice fishing and trapping.

The 354 state park visitors in the sample rated as most important that a park is clean and well maintained (95.1%), has parking facilities (81.5%), is safe (74.5%), and has special natural features or scenic beauty (73.8%). The majority of visitors (53.4%) said they used state parks "to enjoy the natural surroundings" rather than "to enjoy outdoor activities made possible by park facilities" (26.4%), while 20.2% could not choose between the two and said "both."

The factors that most influenced the decision to visit a state park were previous visits (76.2%) and recommendations from others (61.1%). Survey respondents indicated they were satisfied with state park facilities/activities and listed as the most popular picnicking (60.9%) and hiking (58.4%).

Other survey results reveal:

People most often choose a recreation destination that is close to home—at a friend's yard or property (74.1%) or a local park, school yard or forest preserve (58.2%). More than one-third (35.4%) had been to an Illinois state park, up from 22% when the survey was conducted two years earlier. Fewer than 20% had been to a national recreation area in Illinois in the past 12 months.

Less than 13% of the respondents reported camping overnight by tent or vehicle in Illinois in the last 12 months. More than 64% of those who camped did so at Illinois state sites and of those users, 80% said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the campgrounds. Campground users rated as most important the availability of water and toilet facilities (81.9%) and having a campsite located near water or trees (71.3%).

More than 20% had taken a vacation or overnight trip in Illinois in the last 12 months where the main reason was to enjoy the outdoors or to participate in some kind of outdoor activity. The most common activities on these trips were pleasure driving or sight-seeing (7%), tent camping (3.8%), fishing (3.7%), and hiking (3.4%). The average trip within Illinois lasted 2.1 days.

More than half of the respondents (56.1%) had in the last 12 months taken a vacation or overnight trip outside of Illinois where an important component was to enjoy the outdoors or to participate in outdoor activities. The primary reasons for traveling out of state were to see family or attend a meeting.