We embarked on a partnership with Google in 2017. The goal was to collect real-time trail data that could improve park experiences and educate people about locations they’ve never visited before.

Google provided a Trekker kit, equipped with a camera that snapped 360-degree photos every 2 seconds. Park rangers lined up to borrow the 40-pound pack, taking it to their favorite trail destinations.

Treks took place in spring and summer. Parks trekked were: Agua Caliente, Barnett Ranch, El Monte, Guajome Regional, Goodan Ranch/Sycamore Canyon, Lakeside Linkage, Lindo Lake, Los Penasquitos, Oakoasis, Santa Ysabel East and West, Volcan Mountain, and Wilderness Gardens.

Footage was reviewed and edited in the fall and winter, and released early 2018. This new class of Google Street View content is changing the way people find and review venues, and is one of many innovations we’ve introduced over the past year, to keep pace with rapidly changing technology.

Watch the video on County News Center!

Try it out: 

• From Google Maps, type in the name of a park.
• Click on the little yellow man, in the legend at the bottom right side of the screen.
• Street view clips will appear, highlighted by a blue line
• Click on the line to be transported to the trail where you can view 360-degree footage of that exact spot on the map, with the option to move forward and backward.