TopoFusion.com

Tucson Mountain Park Project -- Data Collection Done



Tucson Mountain Park (TMP) consists of 20,00 acres of beautiful sonoran desert. Due to its proximity to Tucson, it is subject to a fair amount of use by hikers, runners, mountain cyclists and equestrians. We have chosen TMP as a natural area worthy of study for this reason. Of course, the real reason we selected TMP is because we love and visit the area--by bike and on foot.

In order to accurately simulate trail users in TMP we need data (statistics) on how the park is used. Typically this kind of data is collected by paper surveys, on trail interviews or by hand (physically counting users). We propose to instead focus on automatic methods of trail data acquisition using GPS tracks. As GPS device use among recreators increases it will be possible to utilize this data in order to more effectively manage our public lands. For more information about using GPS data, see Using GPS for trail simulation.

For TMP, we are collecting GPS data to obtain:
  • 1 - a complete trail map of the area
  • 2 - average travel speeds for each trail
  • 3 - usage statistics for each trail.
We hope to receive GPS tracks from all types of trail users. We also hope that current users will start using their GPS devices on a regular basis at TMP.

Don't have a GPS unit? We have multiple GPS devices available. Send us email for more information about loaning a GPS device to record your trips in Tucson Mountain Park. If you're interested in trying out a GPS device, this is a perfect opportunity.

We have the following units available:
Information for Volunteers, including FAQ

Data Submissions

We are collecting GPS tracks of trips taken at TMP. Tracks are "bread crumb" trails produced by carrying a GPS device around and setting it to record your journey.

In the initial stages, we are looking for any and all GPS data, regardless of the format or device used. However, we would prefer to receive data in the GPX format. GPX is an open standard GPS data exchange format that is read and written by many programs. The key advantage of GPX, in our view, is that it stores both elevation and time data for each track point. The time component is essential for extracting travel speeds on trails for use in the simulation.

We have offered the free demo version of TopoFusion to encourage people interested in collecting data to use the GPX format. The free version interfaces with both Garmin and Magellan GPS devices. Collectors of data may use TopoFusion to download and save their tracks in GPX format.

See the Download page to obtain the TopoFusion Demo. The demo also includes our first run simulation of TMP (mountain bikers only). If you'd like to run the demo on data collected solely by the authors, see Starr Pass Demo.

Several project participants collected enough data to receive free copies of TopoFusion GPS mapping software. Text of Call for GPS Data





For questions about the project or to submit data, email:

starrproject@topofusion.com

Thanks for your interest!

Back to Simulation home for more information about the project.