New app to help map your Coachella Valley hike
Looking for your perfect hiking trail? You’re in luck. The Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau is getting ready to launch its “Hike GPS” website and mobile application this fall.
“The purpose is to help promote all of the hiking trails we have in the Valley. Most folks don’t realize when they come and visit how much there is to do outside of the resorts and hotels and other attractions,” said David Shanks, CVB Vice President of Digital Media.
Hike GPS is designed to help people safely map their hikes, compiling trail difficulty, hiking locations across the desert, trail distance, along with dog friendly and bicycle accessible trails. With the desert heat, safety tips are a must.
“One of the issues we’ve noticed is sometimes inexperienced hikers that aren’t familiar with the area can wonder onto trails that are beyond their scope of ability. With that you can sort the trails in the hiking app by difficulty to find one that suits your needs,” said Shanks.
The CVB is working on incorporating additional GPS functionality.
“So if you are on your mobile device and you do have it with you, you can spot yourself on the map and identify if you are getting off trail,” Shanks said.
Ryan Hardiman, of Seattle, hiked the Bump & Grind trail Thursday afternoon. He said the hiking app would be helpful.
“I’m glad this trail wasn’t any farther or longer than it is. I’m a little tapped out. People have their phones and iPads with them all the time. Any new useful app is a good thing,” said Hardiman.
You can also share your hiking story with others. While you’re out on the trails, snap a photo of your view of the Coachella Valley, get a group shot of your hiking buddies or take a selfie and post it on social media using #HikeGPS.
“People are always looking for new stuff and the hard part is always discovering it and getting out there putting it to use. Once they do, it’s off to the trails after that,” said Hardiman.
Stay tuned for the official launch of Hike GPS in October. For more information, go to visitgreaterpalmsprings.com
