AbstractIncreasing interest in internal cognitive states of recreationists during participation has led to the investigation of the influence of differing amounts of previous experience on participation. Varying levels of experience imply different amounts and organization of information available to the individual to evaluate recreation participation. However, experience may be conceived of in different ways. A person may be a novice in a given environment, yet have experience elsewhere. This paper analyzed the subjective perceptions and motivations for participation of float trip recreationists on thirteen rivers across the nation, using amount of previous experience on the river and elsewhere as independent variables. Results indicated that persons who were new to the river on which they were surveyed but who had float trip experience elsewhere were more like persons with previous experience on the study river. However, on questions related specifically to the river itself, persons with experience elsewhere were more like those who were taking their first trip ever.