WREC Trail Mapping

Goals and Objectives

Our background research paired with our community partner’s assessment of the local infrastructure and information on the Wabash Heritage Trail gave us a clear picture of the problem that needed to be addressed. It was identified that trails on public land were not well mapped and there was insufficient information available about the trail’s conditions, difficulty, length, surface material, and etc. Furthermore, our project partner highlighted the need for better and more accessible information to encourage hikers in our community to use local trails, which were reinforced by our background research on the benefits of trail accessibility and green spaces in the health and growth of local communities. With problems and needs clearly established, we were asked to map the length of the Wabash Heritage Trail using ArcGIS and create a story map that would include further information on the trail.
Based on our group’s past experience with ArgGIS and interest in history and ecology, we established the goal of developing a story map that would not only provide easy and accessible information for hikers but also include interesting educational material that could introduce the 3
community to some historical and ecological elements of Lafayette and West Lafayette. In the first half of the semester, our goal was to map the Wabash Heritage Trail using field maps as well as ArcGIS feature layers from existing data sources in Tippecanoe County. Trail mapping was divided into sections that were then mapped and completed throughout the length of this project by different individuals within our group. Our main goal was to make this map interactive within our story map so that hikers could easily locate points of interest and navigate their way through the area using their phones. Points of interest included restroom facilities, public parking, scenic views, information signs, nearby bus stops, and more. During data collection and mapping we also gathered information on trail ownership, length, if the surface was paved or unpaved, and in which sections biking was permitted.
The second half of the semester was planned for conducting research and drafting educational content to be included in the storymap. Historical sites, plants, and animals that could be seen by hikers as they walked the Wabash Heritage Trail were the focus of our work. We created species lists for both plants and animals that can be found in Tippecanoe County, including a local bird watch list. As for historical content, Prophets Rock, Burnett’s Creek, Fort Ouiatenon, and Davis Ferry Bridge are some of the examples included in our final story map.
Finally, our last goal was to design and display all the collected data and generated maps into an engaging and interactive story map. We created dashboards that included a main map with all the mapped sections of the Wabash Heritage Trail and its points of interest, as well as an ownership map that lists contact information for each section of the trail in case hikers run into any issues during their walks. Users can fully engage with these maps, filtering the sections and features that they are most interested in. Other trail information like length, surface material, public parking, and more were provided at the beginning of the story map so that it could be easily accessible to hikers. The educational content was provided right below for those interested in learning more about the history and ecology of the region. The historical content was displayed using the “map tour” function in ArcGIS story maps, which allows us to take our users through a guided tour of all the points added to our map, emphasizing their location and description. All information was divided into sections which are displayed on a header right at the beginning of the story map. This allows users to click on the section that they are most interested in without having to scroll through the entire content, thus making it easier and faster for people to find the information they need/want.

Community Project Partners:

Amy Krzton-Presson, the Watershed Coordinator for WREC

• Mari Gurgel
• Emma King
• Matteo Mereu
• Evie Quehl
• Zach Reed-Skala