OpenStreetMap Trail Mapping for Responsible Recreation

OpenStreetMap (OSM) is the free, crowdsourced map of the world. In recreation, OSM helps trail users decide where to go by powering apps like AllTrails, Gaia GPS, CalTopo, and onX. In this talk, OSM experts Quincy Morgan and Jake Low will present an overview of OpenStreetMap before diving into the technical side of the Trails Stewardship Initiative: a collaborative effort to accurately map all the trails in the United States in service of responsible and accessible recreation. Come learn about the easy-to-use tools you can use to keep your trails up-to-date in popular recreation apps, and how you can leverage the power of OpenStreetMap to meet your own data needs.

Be sure to check out the first webinar hosted by OSM in August 2024, The OpenStreetMap US Trails Stewardship Initiative, that will pull back the curtain on the data behind the apps, and share the challenges, efforts, and successes of the OpenStreetMap US Trail Stewardship Initiative and the community collaboration behind it.

Learning Objectives:

• The basic history and current status of the OpenStreetMap project, mapping community, ecosystem of tools, and end use cases, with a special focus on trails.
• How OpenStreetMap data is used by companies such as AllTrails, CalTopo, Gaia GPS, and onX to create the maps shown in their apps.
• How to create and update trail data in OpenStreetMap in a web browser using the iD editor.
• How volunteers use validation tools like OSMCha to detect errors or vandalism in recent map edits.
• What free resources are available to trail users and managers to resolve issues around trail data in OpenStreetMap, improve OpenStreetMap trail data generally, and use OpenStreetMap trail data in their own maps and applications.