Top 5 reasons to download the new Capitol State Forest map onto your smartphone

The new Capitol State Forest Map is now geo-referenced, making it ideal to download onto your smartphone. Photo: Diana Lofflin, DNR.

Are you ready to take your outdoor recreation adventure into the digital world?

The new 2013 Capitol State Forest map has been developed to easily download onto your smartphone or tablet.

The smartphone is becoming an outdoor recreationist’s most trusted side-kick. With a built-in GPS unit, camera, compass and technology to track your trip, the smartphone is becoming another handy tool to have in the woods.

Here are 5 reasons to try it out today:

1. Stay safe. Capitol State Forest is over 100,000 acres with trails and roads intersecting across the landscape. When you download the map to your phone, you have up-to-date trail and road names at your fingertips.
2. No cell service? No problem! If you download the map into an app service (explained below) the map will still work even if you are out of cell range using your phone’s GPS chip. We suggest also having a backup printed map with you.
   *Bonus Tip: Save battery power and turn your cell on airplane mode.
3. Photo-capture your favorite spot.  With your geo-referenced Capitol Forest Map, you can take a picture of your favorite lunch spot, write a note, and tag its location on your phone to show it off to your buddies next time you are out.
4. Are we there yet?! With accurate longitude and latitude programed into the map, you will know exactly where you are and how far the next stop is on your trail adventure.
   *Bonus Tip:  Some apps even offer a measuring tool as part of their options.
5. FREE map! Can’t beat free and convenient, right?!

Ready to give it a try? Follow the easy steps below to get started.

Download a pdf mapping app onto your smartphone. The following instructions are for the Avenza app on the iPhone (there is a beta version available on Android), however there are other apps available such as Adobe Reader or ArcGIS’s app ESRI.

1. Download the Avenza app onto your iPhone using your iTunes account – its free.
2. Open your Avenza PDF Maps App on your phone. On the iPhone it is called ‘PDF Maps’
3. In the Avenza app, click on the icon in the lower left hand corner of your screen called ‘maps.’ You will see a ‘+’ sign in the upper right of your screen.
4. After you click on the plus sign, it will ask you where you want to grab the PDF file from. Enter the following address into the box titled ‘From the Web’.
   1. dnr.wa.gov/geo/capitol.pdf
   2. Helpful hint: Be kind to your data plan; try downloading the map when you have a wifi connection.
5. Avenza will copy the map into your Avenza App. This may take a while depending on your connection speed.
6. After the map is copied into the Avenza app, whenever you click on the ‘maps’ icon, it will appear. Click on it, and you will see the map appear on your screen. If you have your GPS turned on, it will automatically zoom to your position.

Visit the Avenza website for more instructions on using their software. Non-smartphone users, don’t fret, you can still purchase this updated forest map on your next trip to Capitol State Forest!

Do you use geo-referenced mapping technology on your phone? Tell us about your experience and recommendations at recreation@dnr.wa.gov.

Want to see more products like this? Let us know by taking DNR’s recreation information survey.

Follow DNR on: