The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District is going digital.
The Los Altos-based organization recently released an interactive trail app designed for web browsers. Trail Explorer aims to provide information to the public about the district’s trails and preserves, according to Midpen data analyst Fran Lopez Tapia.
“We want them to be able to find a one-stop shop to find all the information they possibly need,” Lopez Tapia said. “Trail Explorer makes everything easier for a member of the public to find exactly what they’re looking for.”
Released Nov. 15, the app features slope steepness, sun exposure and accessibility statistics. While some similar agencies use rating systems for hikes (from easy to difficult), Midpen’s Trail Explorer takes a different approach; it filters the features and trail characteristics that are most important to them, Lopez Tapia said.
Jamie Hawk, Midpen’s geographic information system program administrator, said she uses Trail Explorer to find trails where she can bring her dogs on leash.
“The thing I’m most excited about for this upcoming summer season is that we can filter down trails that are either in full shade or partial sun,” Hawk added. “And because I have dogs, and we’ve got lots of dog hair, I want to make sure that my pups stay cool in the summer.”
App development
After Midpen conducted a preserve use survey in 2018 and a trail information system project in 2020, it found the public wanted “quantitative trail data to inform wayfinding, recreation and accessibility decisions,” Lopez Tapia said.
To gather the nearly 8,000 data points needed for this app’s development, Midpen’s planning interns spent three years surveying more than 255 miles of trails, Lopez Tapia said.
Every 500 feet, the team collected data points on surface type, cross-slope, tread width and obstacles while taking photos along the way.
Hawk and Lopez Tapia helped convert this data into a user-friendly interface, combining the collected data with GIS data on trail elevation, slope and length.
Hawk said the team chose bold, intuitive colors to feature slope prominently, creating an easier way to get information instead of reading traditional topographic maps.
Midpen is now in a feedback-gathering mode for the app, Hawk added, and is monitoring how the public is receiving and using the app with a feedback form.
“There are a lot of possibilities, but we want to hear from the folks who are using the app and get ideas from them,” Hawk said. “We are always looking for suggestions and ideas from the public on where to go next and what information to serve out.”
Trail Explorer works with any web browser on an internet-connected device.
To access the app, visit bit.ly/trailexplorer.
