Young explorers and seasoned outdoor enthusiasts alike can now easily navigate Westchester County’s 50 parks and 1,800 acres of open space with the help of the new, free Westchester County Parks Pocket Ranger app.
The first mobile app of its kind for a New York county park, the app boasts unique features like a three-in-one “explore” search that allows users to find, by desired activity or destination type, what park is best.
Following in the footsteps of larger county park systems like that of San Francisco and Salt Lake counties, the county hopes to increase ease of access to the endless opportunities for activities that lie within the parks. Visitors can check out the latest events in the parks nearest to them, share photos, and can even locate their friends if they get lost.
Friends of Westchester County Parks helped with a $25,000 grant, supported by an additional partnering grant from Fujifilm. Friends of Westchester County Parks also worked with ParksByNature Network to develop the free service, which ultimately had zero effect on Westchester tazpayers.
Exploration doesn’t have to stop at park boundaries this fall, however—Westchester County residents and visitors can also download the “Ossining in 3D” app to check out the public arts exhibition celebrating the village’s bicentennial. The app features audio commentary on the works featured along the 1.5-mile walking route until October 26.
Both apps are available for free download on iTunes—Pocket Ranger and Ossining in 3D. The Westchester County Parks Pocket Ranger app is also available on the Android Market.