ABSTRACT
The potential for Appalachian recreational development can be summarized in terms of natural attractions and accessibility. Recreation is viewed by many local and state governments and some federal agencies as a potentially productive strategy for bringing some measure of economic stability to the depressed areas of Appalachia. As families from the coast began to acquire land in the Appalachian highlands for summer homes and patronize the new mountain resorts, they brought their friends and social traditions with them. Although the volume of recreational use of the Appalachians is impressive, it must be remembered that the region's popularity as a pleasuring place is also historically long standing. Appalachian recreational development opportunity is therefore tempered by the restrictions inherent in the characteristics. Private entrepreneurs began to anticipate the recreational-service requirements of tourists by building accommodations and access roads to scenic areas, and landowners began to respond to demands for vacation-home lots by subdividing parcels of their property.
