Recreational trail of high quality for activities like cross-country skiing or mountain biking (MTB) are often the main attraction that drives a visit to a destination. In countries where open access to the recreational landscape applies, user compliance to the funding model is a key for the long term economic sustainability of the trail product. Practically, trail providers struggle with obtaining knowledge about the actual quantitative use of their trails and ultimately to define the success of their funding model. From a research perspective, understanding of mechanism that makes a user to comply is a challenge. This study aims to identify the actual compliance rate to a cross-country ski pass funding model at a Ski resort in the county of Dalarna, Sweden. The research question “What is the actual compliance rate to a trail pass system of visitors at the resort?” is answered by using a three quantitative data sources; a) on-site surveys that captures visitors’ demographics and skiing behaviour as well as the stated behaviour for the trail pass purchase, i.e. compliance to the funding model (I did not buy/ I do not want to answer); b) counters are positioned along the trail, capturing the actual use of the trails; c) the daily/weekly/monthly trail pass sales at the ski resort. Comparison of the three data sources with provides information about inaccuracies and conspicuous features to make conclusions about the actual rate of compliance and non-compliance. The paper also includes a discussion on funding models for cross-country ski trails and especially the feature of visible trail pass badges/stickers, that the skier are prompted to wear, and its effects on purchase behaviour. Limitations, especially related to the installed counters and skiers that possibly slip through all three data collection techniques are discussed and acknowledged.