The technical report on the Cook County, Minnesota resident survey was developed as a part of the larger research project “Tourism and Winter Trail-based Recreation: An economic and environmental comparison of motor and quiet sports.”

The project was designed to document and compare the impacts of snowmobiling and cross country skiing in a destination county. It will measure the economic impacts and assess the perceived social and environmental impacts of these activities. This study employed questionnaires with snowmobilers and cross country skiers and survey local residents in Cook County, Minnesota. An understanding of the differences between motor sports (snowmobiling) and a quiet sport (cross country skiing) is useful in planning future development, minimizing negative impacts, and improving marketing decisions.

Cook County, Minnesota has approximately 3100 registered voters while hosting thousands of visitors that flock to the Arrowhead region of Minnesota for cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. There are over 300km of groomed cross-country ski trails in Cook County, which many say are the best in the Midwest.

Complete results of the Cook County Survey can be downloaded at www.mnnordicski.org