Online map highlights local recreation

Kaniksu Land Trust (KLT) and Sanders County Community Development (SCCD) continue to coordinate as the two organizations implement activities that drive economic development through outdoor recreation. Earlier this year KLT and SCCD worked to create an online map highlighting recreation opportunities in Sanders County. In 2020, KLT participated in a countywide process called Recreation Economy for Rural Communities (RERC). From this process, several goals and actions were identified for KLT’s Recreation and Outreach Coordinator Kayla Mosher to tackle, including the formation of an outdoor recreation map.

“The RERC was a process done with a committee of people from the community, county, City of Thompson Falls, EPA, USFS, USDA, DNRC and other committees,” Mosher said. “They came together over three days in October 2020 to discuss building Thompson Falls and the county’s economy through recreation.”

Mosher says the RERC committee found the need to create the map important because it will serve as a comprehensive resource that will include all types of trails, water access points and other recreation sites. The map will be printed, published online and linked to and from other maps and websites. Mosher also says the RERC committee wants this map to not only draw people to the area and encourage them to extend their stays but also help them engage in multiple types of recreation while in the area to help improve their visitor experience.

“Creating a single resource with multiple recreation opportunities benefits residents and visitors by giving them an easy way to find spots for activities, more information on those spots and navigation directions,” Mosher said.

In order to choose what information would be displayed on the map, Mosher partnered with SCCD executive director Ray Brown on the project. They also worked with Joel Wilson, a consultant who helped design the online map. “We then contacted community members with experience and interest in trails and recreation in Sanders County to provide feedback on appropriate sites to include on our map,” Mosher said. After being directed as to what information would be good to include such as special access directions, trail elevation gains and site contact information, the map only took two months to create.

In order to create the map, funding was used from grants both KLT and SCCD received. “A grant from the Department of Commerce funded the first half and Glacier County Tourism Cooperative Marketing funded the other half, '' Brown said. “The development of the map went smoothly. Users can go on and provide feedback before we do one more overhaul. We know there are flaws but ultimately, we want this to be a user-friendly tool. The early feedback was good and it’s important to note, this is not for all the attractions in Sanders County, this map is only meant to focus on outdoor attractions.”

Brown notes this is only the start of what the community will see in terms of informational systems to help guide people around Sanders County. “Wayfinding really is the trick,” he said. “We all know this place is beautiful, now we need to know where to send people to visit.”

Mosher says both KLT and SCCD are very pleased with how the map turned out. “It looks nice, it functions well, and I find it so much easier to see everything in one place,” she said. “I've heard a lot of positive feedback from community members about it who are excited to be using it. We do still have a list of spots we will be adding to the map, so continue to check back to it. We are still adding in trail routes too, so not all of those are immediately available but should be on the map very soon. If you need help learning how to use this map, please don't be afraid to reach out.”

To view the outdoor recreation map, go to sanderscountycommunitydevelopment.com and under Explore Sanders County, click on Outdoor Recreation Map.