National Lakeshore Receives 97% Visitor Satisfaction Rating

Date: October 23, 2012
Contact: Bruce Rowe, 219-395-1609

INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL LAKESHORE: The National Park Service announced today that Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore has received the results of the annual survey of park visitors. Ninety-seven percent of the survey respondents thought the quality of facilities, services, and recreational opportunities were either "very good" or "good" at the park. This level of visitor satisfaction ties the highest ever recorded at the national lakeshore since the yearly surveys began in 1998. These surveys are conducted at all national parks every year and are distributed and managed by the Park Studies Unit of the University of Idaho.

Park superintendent Constantine Dillon was pleased with the results. Dillon commented, "There are few institutions that can receive a 97% favorable rating from their customers. Providing a high quality of services and facilities for the 2 million people who visit Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is a hallmark of the National Park Service and a testament to the outstanding work of park employees, partners, and volunteers."

Visitors were given survey forms at seven locations within the national park between July 14 and August 11. The survey locations were at Dunewood Campground, Pinhook Bog, Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk, the Douglas Center, Chellberg Farm, Mount Baldy, and West Beach. Completed surveys were placed by the visitors in sealed collection boxes or mailed directly to the University of Idaho.

Visitors were asked to comment on the, "overall quality of facilities, services, and recreational opportunities" and were given five choices ranging from very good, good, average, poor, or very poor. Respondents marking either very good or good were counted as being satisfied with the park. According to the University of Idaho's Park Studies Unit this survey is consistent with accepted social science practices, the Office of Management and Budget guidelines, and customer service evaluations in the private sector.

For more information, contact public information officer Bruce Rowe at 219-395-1609

www.nps.gov/indu

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is part of the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 398 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.