The state Department of Environmental Protection has launched a new mobile phone application to help visitors plan for and make the most out of their trips to New Jersey’s state parks, forests and historic sites.
The free Pocket Ranger application provides information about activities, amenities and services directly to users’ smartphones and is part of the Christie Administration’s plan to make the park system more self-sustaining while improving visitor services, according to a press release.
The version of the application compatible with Apple iPhones was launched last week. The Android- compatible version is expected to be launched this week. The applications can be downloaded at www.StateParkApps.com.
“We are very proud to offer this new service to the public,” DEP Commissioner Bob Martin said. “New Jersey’s park system is second to none and has been experiencing record numbers of visitors in recent years. This application gets us in step with the times, making it much easier for people to plan their visits to our wonderful parks, forests and historic sites and to make decisions about what to see and do once they get there.”
With a few taps of the screen, visitors can use their smartphones to find overviews, directions, operating hours and activities that are available at various sites managed by the DEP’s Division of Parks and Forestry. Visitors can also fine-tune their searches by looking for activities that interest them, such as hiking, bicycling, swimming, fishing, boating, canoe rentals or winter activities.
Gov. Chris Christie and Martin recently released the administration’s long-term strategy for keeping New Jersey’s parks open, affordable and even more accessible, according to the press release. The plan establishes a model for parks to generate revenues to make them more self-sustaining while making the park experience more rewarding for millions of visitors by improving visitor services, amenities and activities.
The DEP will receive a portion of advertising revenues generated by the application, which is not costing anything for the department to implement.
The state park system encompasses 440,000 acres in all 21 counties, and includes more than 50 historic sites, historic battlefields and villages, and 39 active recreation areas with year-round operations. The park system also boasts more than 500 miles of hiking and riding trails and 10 miles of ocean beaches.
Pocket Ranger can help visitors make lodging reservations, has social networking capabilities, and provides an advanced mapcaching feature that allows users to continue to navigate even if mobile service is lost. In addition, advanced GPS technology allows hikers to keep track of where they are and how far they have hiked. The same technology enables hunters and anglers to mark favorite hunting spots and fishing holes.