I take a lot of photos on the trail. Are these useful for mapping?
Yes! Photos are the perfect way to capture information about a trail. A casual look back at your photo library might reveal the location of a viewpoint, the smoothness of a path, or the height of a bridge. By being intentional with your photos, you can survey a lot of trail data without too much effort.
What settings should I use on my camera when surveying?
It’s important that trail photos are “geotagged” with a location whenever possible. Geotagging attaches latitude and longitude coordinates to your photos so you can view them on a map. Otherwise it can be very hard to tell where a photo was taken.
Most phones geotag photos automatically using a GPS receiver, even when your phone is offline. Many digital cameras also have GPS receivers, or can sync to your phone’s location via Bluetooth.
What if my camera can’t geotag photos?
Various apps let you add locations to photos you’ve already taken. When you’re snapping a photo in the field, record the location by noting nearby landmarks or saving coordinates from a standalone GPS unit. Then update the metadata when you’re back at your computer.
What sort of trail features should I take photos of?
It’s helpful to take photos of anything someone would expect to find on a trail map. Common examples are trailheads, parking lots, picnic tables, benches, bathrooms, trash cans, information boards, campsites, cairns, viewpoints, gates, and intersections.
How useful are photos of trail signs?
Photos of park and trail signs are highly useful, as they often include rich trail attributes. Databases like OpenStreetMap follow the “on the ground” rule, where trail data should match posted signage.
Signed attributes may include the trail name, operator, opening hours, allowed uses (cycling, camping, hunting, dog walking, etc.), and other regulations.
About the Digital Trails Handbook
This is a community-driven guide to the data we rely upon to navigate the great outdoors. It’s written by trail mapping experts (not by AI), with insight from trail users, land managers, and app developers.
This handbook comes out of the OpenStreetMap US Trails Stewardship Initiative, a collaborative effort to improve recreation data in the United States and beyond.
Passionate about trails? You can get involved or donate to support our work.
This chapter last revised Mar 19, 2025.
Something amiss? You can propose a change ➛
