Is the visitor center open? What’s that statue? Where’s the bathroom?! All the info you need and plenty of extras are part of a suite of functions included in 59 new National Parks travel guides that work even with zero bars.
The National Parks app by Chimani is a virtual bookshelf that compiles interactive guides on all 59 national parks and 411 areas and points of interest – from Gettysburg battlefield to Old Faithful.
The 59 free apps, which launch today, allow users to navigate bike and hiking trails within parks, notifies them of nearby points of interest, and provides interactive icons for finding shuttle bus pickups, parking lots, camping supply points, and more.
Plus, since the apps store data locally on your device and utilize your GPS signal, they will function when there is no cellular service available.
While app-based travel guides and maps are not new – National Geographic offers high-quality guides for 15 parks, and REI has a robust app we checked out earlier this year – the Chimani National Parks app has a comprehensive guide for all 59 national parks.
Chimani’s National Parks app has original written content, but the maps are completely open-sourced, so users can modify and update information in real time.
It utilizes the OpenStreetMap platform, an open source, open license mapping project that allows hikers, bikers, campers, and adventurers to modify the guides to reflect unexpected closures and changes within the parks.
If you’re planning on checking out any of the national parks this year, this app looks like a handy companion.
The National Parks app and all 59 individual park apps are free and available for download now from the Chimani website .
