A number of approaches have been used to obtain information on visitors (and visits) to woodlands. These include:

• National household surveys, where people are included in the survey whether they have visited woodlands or the outdoors;
• Local surveys, either site- or community-based, where information is collected for a specific site (or group of sites).

Latest estimates at a national level are included in Forestry Statistics. These are mainly based on household surveys of outdoor recreation and engagement run in England, in Scotland and in Wales, as follows: 

England

Fieldwork for the "Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment" (MENE) started in March 2009 and collects information annually on visits to the outdoors in England. Further information is available at www.gov.uk/government/collections/monitor-of-engagement-with-the-natural-environment-survey-purpose-and-results.    

Scotland

Scotland’s People and Nature Survey (SPANS) provides data on the number and types of visits people make to the outdoors. It was first run in 2013/14, replacing the previously annual Scottish Recreation Survey. A smaller scale version of SPANS was run in 2017/18. Further information is available at www.nature.scot/professional-advice/land-and-sea-management/managing-access-and-recreation/increasing-participation/measuring-participation.

Wales

The National Survey of Wales has included information on outdoor recreation in Wales since 2014. Further information is available at https://gov.wales/national-survey-wales.

In addition, some information on visits to woodland is available from the Public Opinion of Forestry surveys that have been run every 2 years or so.

All Forests Monitoring

In 2002, the Forestry Commission developed a visitor monitoring system to provide more accurate estimates of the number of visits to FC woodland, whilst continuing to gather information regarding the profile of visitors to the whole of the Commission estate. Visitors were surveyed and counted at all types of woodland, rather than concentrating on our main sites. The All Forests Monitoring system was adopted in Wales and Scotland, with surveying starting in 2004.

Scotland

All Forests Survey 2 (AFS2)

The latest All Forests Survey was undertaken from October 2012 to November 2013, using an updated methodology that made more use of automatic vehicle and trail counters.

All Forests Survey 1 (AFS1)

The first All Forests Survey was carried out over 3 years, from 2004 to 2007, with five Forest Districts (in existence at the start of the fieldwork) surveyed each year. The following outputs are available:

• Final report, covering all 3 years;
• Year 1 report, covering Buchan, Galloway, Lochaber, Scottish Borders and West Argyll;
• Year 2 report, covering Dornoch, Lorne, Moray, Scottish Lowlands and Tay;
• Year 3 report, covering Ae, Cowal & Trossachs, Fort Augustus, Inverness and Kincardine.

An addendum to the Year 1 report explains why and how revisions have been made to the estimated annual number of visits to Glentress in the Scottish Borders.

Wales

The survey covered all four Forest Districts in Wales, over the period January 2004 to January 2005.

Wales 2004 – report published August 2005.