Editing OpenStreetMap

Mapping a region and adding it to OpenStreetMap is a gratifying experience.

Today I thought I'd try out the OSMTracker Android app. I used it to record GPS traces of an unmapped area in Paxton, MA - walking trails near a small lake called Turkey Hill Pond. I rode my bike through the trails while the app was running. At the end I had these "GPX" files which I opened up in JOSM and used as the basis for adding new paths.

I noticed that the entire lake was missing so I installed the wms plugin for JOSM and used the Yahoo satellite images to trace out the lake. Tagging was straightforward once I found the tag definition page. I created an OSM account and uploaded the data, and within a few hours the image tiles were updated.

Here is a before and after screen capture of the OSM map:

How cool! Its a great feeling to know I've contributed something, and that anyone who looks at this region in OSM in the future will see these trails.

Next I'd like to map the Lowell state forest - there is no good map for all those trails.