Using ESRI’s ArcGIS StoryMap platform, AMC staff prepared a custom interactive map that tells the story of the 300-mile long Highlands Trail in Pennsylvania.

The Highlands Trail in Pennsylvania connects several state parks, three major rivers, five national historic and heritage areas, numerous historic landmarks, and many scenic vistas and downtown business/cultural districts. The route also includes a National Recreation Trail and a National Scenic Trail. In order to describe the Highlands Trail route and interpret the many resources found along it, a Highlands Trail StoryMap was developed. The StoryMap project took about six months to produce, including development of the custom interactive maps, preparation of the text content and assembling photos and videos. The Highlands Trail StoryMap begins by providing background information about the federally-designated four-state Highlands Region and the Pennsylvania Highlands. The StoryMap continues by describing many of the twenty-two existing trails that the Highlands Trail co-aligns with along its route, beginning at the Delaware River in northern Bucks County to its end at the border with Maryland in Franklin County. The Highlands Trail StoryMap also describes areas planned for trails and gap areas in the trail network. The StoryMap also provides information, photos and videos about each individual trail and nearby recreation and historic resources.

The Highlands Trail StoryMap project was generously funded by the William Penn Foundation. To view the StoryMap, click here.