Want to hike confidently across 8,000 square miles of Ohio from Southern Medina County to the Ohio River and know exactly where you are at all times? There’s an app for that.
The Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District, based in New Philadelphia, has launched a collaboration with the mobile application OuterSpatial to let visitors take their hikes into their own hands. And boots.
OuterSpatial, which can be downloaded free on iPhone and Android devices, provides visitors with maps, trail information and other real-time data, including information trail status. In the district, which includes all or portions of 27 counties. The app also has ranked self-guided hikes, labeled outings, as well as other area-related events. Users can also interact with others’ posts about the massive district in the “social” tab.
The application is used by other Ohio park systems, such as the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, but not all of them have the outing and event components and serve strictly as virtual park navigation.
The partnership with OuterSpatial comes after years of investments in a variety of park trails and facilities upgrades, said Adria Bergeron, MWCD’s director of communications.
She said the ability to add hikes and to allow people to check in while they are on the trail will make trails more accessible to visitors of the district.
“The bottom line, that's what we are doing this for, is to make them accessible and encourage people to get out and use them and make sure that they know where they are,” she said.
In a press release, Pete Novotny, chief of recreation for the district, said, “This collaboration represents a significant step in bringing more people into nature and to our lakes, while helping them explore responsibly and empowering them with the tools they need to enjoy the trails to the fullest.”
Bergeron said testing was done and connectivity was not found to be an issue in more remote areas of the park. Even if service were to fail, she said, the app allows visitors to continue viewing maps.
A launch event will encourage visitors to use the application and explore. Guests can either accompany a park employee on a hike or hike solo.
The free event will be held at Atwood Lake Park in Tuscarawas County Saturday from 1-3 p.m., with registration strongly recommended as free soup at the end of the hike will be served. Go to www.MWCD.org/tickets.
