Solano Land Trust is proud to announce we are officially a Public Lands Partner of AllTrails. With over fifty million users, the AllTrails app invites a whole new world of trail enthusiasts to hike our lands and contribute their photos and wisdom so that new visitors can find us.
We hope the app becomes a source of inspiration for our hikers to upload descriptions of trail conditions, photos of flora and fauna, and to leave reviews so that new visitors can get a true sense of what to expect when they visit properties like Lynch Canyon, Patwino Worrtla Kodoi Dihi Open Space Park, Jepson Prairie, and Rush Ranch.
Senior Project Manager Anna Weinstein has helmed the onboarding of Solano Land Trust trails into the app, uploading details for nearly twenty-two miles of trails using the Esri GIS platform. “AllTrails is the most popular trail app in the world, and growing,” she said. “It is an ideal merging of technology and access to the great outdoors. I appreciate that its key function – to find and help keep people on a trail – is free to anyone with a smartphone. This ensures the public can access our properties and use the information shared on the app to stay safe while they’re there.”
Currently, some of the most detailed reviews and images of our trails on the app are from Patwino Worrtla Kodoi Dihi Open Space Park. Solano County park ranger Carol Irving is excited for the app to bring more visitors. “The sometimes-daunting task of caring for the park is much more attainable and sustainable when users become stewards. One of my favorite parts of the job is connecting with park visitors, because they become my partners and fellow caretakers. They are the hikers who will send me a text from the trail if they see a tree down or the mountain bikers who become regulars on our trail crew,” she said. “I am looking forward to utilizing AllTrails this year. It is a great way to encourage people to follow the designated trails. I also think we can use it to post information about seasonal or temporary closures, which ultimately supports resource protection.”
Solano County Parks Services Manager Chris Drake believes the app is important because it makes the trails easier to use. "Increasing comfort while recreating helps to release unease and build attachment to the lands," he says. "Having an app available that helps park visitors connect to the place they are visiting provides one more way to create an internal spark to light the flames of stewardship."
We invite all members of the Solano Land Trust community to download AllTrails and upload reviews and photos from their time hiking our lands.
