OpenLongTrails FAQ

OpenLongTrails (OLT) exists to bring together and freely distribute information about long distance nature trails around the world.

What is OpenLongTrails (OLT)?

• OpenLongTrails is an umbrella organization that encompasses a variety of information resources related to long distance nature trails around the world, such as LongTrailsMap.net and LongTrailsWiki.net.
• The goal of the project is to collect information about the long trails and make it freely available, under permissive licenses, to all interested parties.

What does OLT do?

• Encourage the creation of long trail information resources, such as websites, apps, and guidebooks, by publishing research and crowdsourced data under permissive licenses in a variety of formats.
• Crowdsource information about the trails by providing mechanisms for users to contribute GPS files and other data.
• Contribute information to projects such as OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.

Who is OLT for?

Everyone is welcome to use OLT resources. The project is created with the following target audience in mind:

• Users of long distance nature trails, such as hikers and equestrians.
• Information resource developers, such as app and website creators, guidebooks authors, and others.
• Trail organizations, and the trail crews and other groups and individuals who protect and maintain the long trails.
• Media creators who need information about the trails, such as journalists and social media users.

Is there a list of OpenLongTrails projects?

• OLT projects are linked from www.OpenLongTrails.org.
• As of this writing, OLT includes LongTrailsMap.net, LongTrailsWiki.net, and LongTrailsWeather.net.

What are some examples of future OLT projects?

• GPS file downloads, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata contributions, online trail databooks, and more.

How does OLT make information available to users?

• OLT websites such as LongTrailsMap.net, LongTrailsWiki, and LongTrailsWeather.net.
• Content contributions to projects such as OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.
• Github repositories.

How does OLT serve trail users?

• By providing extensive trail information that is directly relevant to trail users, such as GPS files, and resupply and permit information.

How does OLT serve creators of trail information resources, such as apps, websites, and guidebooks?

• By providing permissively licensed trail data for free, such as GPS data and online trail databooks.

What licenses does OLT use?

• OLT projects use permissive licensing wherever possible.
• For trail data, OLT uses OpenStreetMap- and Wikidata-compatible licensing wherever possible.
• For Wiki content, OLT uses Creative Commons licenses wherever possible.
• For software, OLT uses OSI-approved licenses, such as GPL, MIT, and Apache, wherever possible.

How can I get involved with and/or contribute to OpenLongTrails?

• Add information to LongTrailsWiki.net articles.
• Send long trail GPS data for which you own the rights to data@openlongtrails.org. Any file format is acceptable; GPX, GeoJSON, and KML/KMZ are preferred. Please send only data that you have the authority to contribute.
• Spread the word!
• Read the blog, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, and join us on Reddit.
• Software developers: Send pull requests for OLT properties on Github.

Who is behind OpenLongTrails?

• My friends call me by my trail name, Numbers. I'm the creator of LongTrailsMap.net, LongTrailsWiki.net, LongTrailsWeather.net, and other resources which have been online for years, and I have moderated online hiking-related communities with tens of thousand of users for years. I've thruhiked several long trails, including the Pacific Crest Trail, Arizona Trail, Tahoe Rim Trail, and others, and I've been fortunate enough to trail angel extensively. I'm creating OpenLongTrails independently, with the hope that there will be many contributors along the way.