No cell service necessary: GPS-enabled maps now available for Rideau Valley trails

(Via Rideau Valley Conservation Authority)

No cell service? No problem! Visitors to RVCA’s conservation areas can now navigate even our most remote trails with confidence thanks to a new partnership with Avenza Maps.

The Toronto-based mobile app offers GPS-enabled maps that can be used offline and without cell service to keep your bearings even in the deepest woods.

“Safety is number one, and this is an innovative tool to help our visitors stay on track while exploring our beautiful properties,” said Conservation Lands Manager Chelsey Ellis. “We’re pleased to partner with such an ambitious and community-oriented organization.”

Tristan Lyttle, senior product manager with Avenza Systems Inc., agreed.

“We’re thrilled to see our local conservation authorities become early adopters of this technology,” Lyttle said. “Getting outside and exploring our surroundings has never been more important, and Avenza makes it even easier.”

The app is supported by Android and iOS. Instructions on how to get started and use the mobile app can be found at https://www.avenzamaps.com/maps/how-it-works.html. QR codes for the RVCA’s new Avenza maps have been installed at the trailheads of eight conservation areas, and can also be found on their property-specific webpages at www.rvca.ca/conservation-areas. Scanning these QR codes will download RVCA’s maps to your phone to take out onto the trail. If you don't have Avenza Maps app, you will be guided through the installation process

To avoid installation issues, the RVCA encourages visitors to download the free app before leaving home. Traditional trailhead maps and printed brochures will continue to be available, as well as downloadable PDF maps on the RVCA website.

The RVCA offers a total of 42 km of trails through forests, wetlands, meadows and more. From the Chapman Mills boardwalk in Barrhaven to the Spy Rock lookout at Foley Mountain, our 11 conservation areas offer something for everyone, all year round.