ABSTRACT
National forests in southern California are experiencing an increasing number of visitors from minority racial and ethnic groups. Many of these visitors are of Hispanic descent. Questions about how an individual's ethnic or racial identity affect his or her desired outdoor recreation experience lead to a renewed interest in minority groups' recreation participation begun in the 1970s. Several sites chosen for the study are located on the Angeles and San Bernardino National Forests. The sites vary from little facility development to moderate development. All are located in riparian zones with creeks that flow the entire summer. The immigration of many individuals is reflected in the short length of time respondents have been coming to the recreation sites. Those of Central American descent have fewer family members, both immediate and extended, in southern California and the United States as a whole, than those of Anglo or Mexican descent.
