Here's an update on the progress of our site. In case you forgot, we are creating the only free, open resource for off-road trails in America.
This month's featured trail - Wheeler Crest Trail, CA
The Impact
We've only been online for a few months, but your articles are already being used by hundreds of off-roaders every day. Our site now has over pages 350 pages of off-road trails. Our contributors are constantly adding information almost every day, and I get several letters of appreciation from readers every week.
How You Can Help
- Spread the word - Plain and simple, we need more people to contribute. Once we get the word out about Dirtopia, this project will explode. Please let your friends, club members, customers and fellow riders know what this site is all about. If you can add a link to your website or talk about us in a forum, that would really help us out.
- Add GPS Coordinates - GPS coordinates have become almost a requirement for listing a trail on Dirtopia. Of course, not everyone uses a GPS when they go off-roading, but GPS coordinates also gives us instant access to free street maps, satellite photos, topo maps, Google Earth files and geocaches. Adding theses map links can be done quickly using the mapit template: just type in your GPS coordinates in the following format, and you're ready to go:
{mapit|37.5148|-118.6384}
The template accepts decimal coordinates, which can be created from any other type of coordinate by copying and pasting into Google Maps.
- Add Directions - If you've ever tried to find a trail or open use area, chances are that you got directions from a friend or the web. I know that you remember how to get there, so add it to the site and help someone else find this trail!
- Add Photos - Trail photos give us a sense of the terrain and a chance to show off our ride. Most of us have switched to digital cameras, which means that our computers are probably full of photos from our recent off road trips. Just upload a few, please. Just tell us where they were taken, and someone will come by and add them to the correct page.
- Create Lists - I like to work top-down, which means I started documenting the trails in Southern California by listing them out, and sorting them by county, national forest and desert region. I never knew how many trails there were in this area -- literally hundreds and hundreds of off-road trails within 200 miles of my home. Organizing them is a real chore if you aren't familiar with a particular area. We really could use your help here.
Featured Contributor
Julian, or BF2Junky, as he is known on the internet, has taken charge of organizing all of the trails in Nevada. A long time Toyota fan, he's recently been hitting the trails every weekend in his new pair of FJ Cruisers. Two of them! When it comes to toys, one just isn't enough.
Julian was recently promoted to a site admin because he seems pretty trustworthy, despite his appearance in this photo.
That's it, and thanks for reading,
Travis Kiger
Dirtopia
