The recreational use of forest land.

Abstract

Forests are making an increasing contribution towards meeting the growing demand for outdoor recreation and this is compatible with timber production in the context of multiple use management. Development in the Republic of Ireland came late but there are now 9 forest parks and 350 other sites open to the public. The results of two surveys of visitor profiles, recreational use patterns and the opinions of users are presented, one relating to Lough Key Forest Park and the other to seven sites in Dublin and Wicklow. Use is mainly by family groups for walking in the forest environment and there is a high level of visitor satisfaction. The paper concludes with a consideration of topics relevant to forest recreation planning and development, including publicity and signposting, facility provision and the locational characteristics of sites.