Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Arizona State Parks and Trails and Google Help You Plan Your Hike

PHOENIX – Imagine seeing trail conditions at your favorite Arizona state park before you head out, giving you the chance to perfectly plan your hike. Arizona State Parks and Trails is working with Google to make that happen.

Arizona State Parks and Trails staff have been using the Google R7 Trekker Camera to capture in detail the more than 175 miles of trails in state parks across Arizona. The data will be posted on Google Earth and Google Maps, enabling visitors to see trail conditions and plan the perfect hiking adventure. Use of the camera was free after Parks submitted a request and detailed information about which trails would be documented.

During the past six weeks, staff have walked over 200 miles carrying the Trekker, which weighs 45 pounds and includes 15 individual lenses to capture a 360-degree view of each trail. The data will help visitors understand the difficulty of trails, topography, and what to expect to see along the route, as well as the accessibility of the trail. The project also had the added value of identifying any trails in need of maintenance or repair in the park system.

Once all trail data has been collected, it will be sent to Google for processing and uploading to the existing Earth and Maps databases for free use by the public.

"Managing and conserving Arizona's natural, cultural and recreational resources for the benefit of the people, both in our parks and through our partners."

For information about all 35 Arizona State Parks and Natural Areas, trails, Off-Highway Vehicle Program, and State Historic Preservation Office, call 1-877-MY-PARKS or visit AZStateParks.com.

PRESS CONTACT: Michelle Thompson at (602) 542-1996 - Email: pio@azstateparks.gov