Devices To Track Trail Users At Marin County Open Space District

MARIN COUNTY, CA – Infrared devices that work like TV remote controls will soon help the Marin County Open Space District keep a digital count of visitors on 10 trails in the district.

Sensors called Eco-Counters will be placed at different heights to detect a passerby whether it's a hiker, mountain biker or equestrian. The data then will be transmitted remotely and integrated into software to help
analyze visitation trends available to the public and the Marin County Board of Supervisors.

The five-year pilot program will start this spring. The technology will enable seasonal nighttime closure of some trails between Feb. 1 and July 31 to benefit sensitive wildlife including northern spotted owls that are
nesting at certain times of the year.

"Historically, collection of visitor data involved our staff being stationed on the trails to do manual tallies," Marin County Parks Director Max Korten said.

"Going digital with around-the-clock collection is more accurate and more cost efficient for the County," Korten said.

The Eco-Counters are already used at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area to collect data 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The devices do not take photo images and will not be used to trail-use enforcement purposes.

For the first year of the program, the Eco-Counters will be installed at the following locations:

• Boulder Springs Trail, Gary Giacomini Open Space Preserve
• Willis Evans Trail, Gary Giacomini Open Space Preserve
• Hunt Camp Trail, Gary Giacomini Open Space Preserve
• Haute Lagunitas Trail, Gary Giacomini Open Space Preserve
• Fairway Trail, Camino Alto Open Space Preserve
• Octopus Trail, Camino Alto Open Space Preserve
• Piedmont Trail, Baltimore Canyon Open Space Preserve
• Warner Canyon Trail, Blithedale Summit Open Space Preserve
• Porcupine Trail, White Hill Open Space Preserve
• Blue Ridge Fire Road, Cascade Canyon Open Space Preserve

Signs will be posted on the trails where the Eco-Counters are installed. Details about the program are included on the Marin County Parks website.

By Bay City News Service; Kristina Houck/Patch contributed to this report.

Photo: Sensors will be installed on some trails to detect a passer-by, whether it’s a hiker, a mountain biker, or an equestrian, and compile the visitation data. Photo by Ranger Craig Solin.