Abstract: Travel cost method was one of the scientific and feasible methods used in evaluating the recreational benefit, but there were two techniques in practical application. It was also disputable about whether the travel cost concluded the travel time value or not. In this paper, Xinglongshan Mountain Nature Reserve in Gansu province was selected as an example in which the two techniques of total travel cost containing travel time value and tourists’ practical travel cost were applied. The results showed that the recreational benefit evaluated by total travel cost containing travel time value was higher than that of only the tourists’ practical travel cost. It also showed that the two techniques had little difference in evaluation results from the same independent variable. During evaluation， total consumer surplus using the functional relationship between increased travel cost and tourist times were obtained. Then the recreational benefit was obtained as well. Such a technique had the advantages of simplification and high accuracy.