Many assets can be added to the CSDatum map using aerial imagery, but trails and other things obscured by trees are more difficult to map in that way. However, using the GPS receiver built into your phone or smart watch gives you a way to record a GPS track that you can then use to draw the trail on the map.
Follow these steps to create a trail on the map.
Start by downloading a route tracking app for your phone or smart watch. The two that we use most are Strava and Gaia GPS, but there are dozens of other apps, too.
Next, track yourself while walking the trail that you'd like to map. For best results, walk the trail back and forth several times. The GPS receiver in your phone or watch is not high precision, but multiple tracks will let you use the midpoint of them for your trail.
After tracking yourself on the trail, export the route from the app as a GPX file or KML file The instructions for Strava and Gaia GPS follow, but other apps will have their own methods of download. Strava Instructions Gaia GPS Instructions
Send the file(s) to us using the chat feature or to help@csdatum.com. We'll import the file as a CSDatum overlay.
Lastly, in CSDatum, turn on the overlay and manually trace the trail using the trail asset. Creating the trail manually lets you straighten out all the weird wiggles you'll get when using your phone as a GPS receiver. If you walked the trail multiple times, you can see the different lines and try to approximate the midpoint while tracing the trail.
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