Climate change impacts on natural icons: Do phenological shifts threaten the relationship between peak wildflowers and visitor satisfaction?

Climate change will affect the timing of natural features recreational interest, like fall colors, salmon migration, and wildflower blooms; may therefore alter social-ecological relationships. For example, if fewer visits are aligned with seasonal events visitor satisfaction could be affected. To explore this possibility at Mount Rainier National Park, we combined data from a community science program (MeadoWatch – MW) hiking trip reports posted to organization (Washington Trails Association WTA). We first explored how peak flowering, WTA reports, visitation varied across years that differed in snow disappearance, climatic factor correlates flowering phenology. found blooms tracked disappearance more closely than did park visitation, implying decreasing proportion future visitors experience blooms. next extracted sentiment related specific trail-experiences (e.g., wildflowers, views) overall hike reports. While wildflowers were positive component hiker satisfaction, other non-seasonal trail experiences also had effects. In all, shifting season is less accessible perceptions areas Park. Countering negative impacts achieved by highlighting aspects experience, or alternatively, communicating altered while increasing accessibility during time. Such actions likely require partnerships between managers areas, interpretive staff, scientists study phenomena interest.