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Strap on Your Boots and Get Movin’!

July 29, 2014

One of PlaceWorks’ most cutting-edge projects culminated in the launch of a new website for the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation. We helped design the site, define functionality, and develop the content. Our staff assessed hundreds of miles of trails; collected data to build a geodatabase, which is the foundation of the site; and created hundreds of graphic Quick Guides.

The new website, trails.lacounty.gov, is a dream come true for trail users in Los Angeles County and may encourage others to beat their feet as well. The site’s accurate, in-depth information covers nearly 370 miles of trails, with the eventual goal of covering all public trails in the County, regardless of jurisdiction. The website will be updated regularly and is incredibly user friendly and searchable, with a huge array of resources:

  • A list of trails with details like trail length, elevation gain, and permitted uses
  • Interactive maps show steepness or surface type on trails
  • Safety guidelines and trail etiquette
  • QuickGuides to download or print that include trail maps, descriptions, directions, photos, and elevation profiles
  • Search by city name, ZIP code, trail name, or current location

This groundbreaking website had tremendous support from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and was a collaborative effort between PlaceWorks, LA County Department of Parks and Recreation and Internal Services Department, National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, California State Parks, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, and Mountains Restoration Authority.