Use of Mobile Device Location Data for Visitor Monitoring in Backcountry Areas: A Note of Caution

Monitoring recreation provides essential data to inform management decisions. In recent decades, a new wave of technologies have been introduced to serve as part of the recreational use monitoring portfolio, including mobile device location data. However, concerns have been raised regarding the reliability of these data in monitoring backcountry areas that often lack consistent mobile broad-band connectivity. This research note empirically explores these concerns by comparing a mobile device location dataset to a dataset derived from a stratified random sample of handheld Global Positioning System (GPS) data. In this single context, the Rattlesnake National Recreation Area, the mobile device location data underrepresents backcountry users, compared to the handheld GPS sample. Additionally, the mobile device location data lack consistency in pings relative to the duration of visitors’ trips. We conclude with a discussion of the implications for management and research, including concerns regarding the defensibility of these data, Institutional Review Board approval of these data, and transparency related to repeatability of research using these data.