The National Park Service (NPS) Public Health Program is partnering with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to conduct a survey exploring the health of park visitors who travel in the backcountry. By BACKCOUNTRY we mean those wilderness areas of the park that (1) require a permit to enter, (2) are reached primarily by hiking, boating, or horseback, and (3) lack most facilities and services. Only those people who traveled in the backcountry at Yellowstone National Park between May 1, 2008 and October 31, 2008 and whose names are listed on the backcountry permits are eligible to participate in this survey. These people are being contacted about the survey as they come to one of nine Yellowstone National Park offices to get their backcountry permits.

Every year, many people enjoy visiting remote backcountry areas throughout the United States. Unfortunately, people also become ill or injured while traveling in the backcountry. However, even though illnesses and injuries occur, little information is available about specific activities and situations that increase the risk for these conditions.

The NPS Public Health Program and CDC are conducting this survey to help identify these risks. This information will help the NPS Public Health Program and CDC strengthen evidence-based guidelines for backcountry health and sanitation practices. These guidelines will help protect future park users from illness and injury while they enjoy their backcountry experiences.

If you have any questions about this study or your rights as a participant please call:

National Park Service Public Health Program
Please call George Larsen at 307-344-2273 or Captain Charles Higgins at 202-513-7217.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Study questions: Please call Dr. Sharon Roy at 770-488-4412

Your rights as a participant: Please call CDC’s Deputy Associate Director for Science at 1-800-584-8814 and leave a message including your name and phone number. Say you are calling about the Division of Parasitic Diseases’ web-based survey of Yellowstone National Park Backcountry Users (protocol # 4583). Someone will call you back as soon as possible.