QR Codes (Quick Response Codes) are helping Wilderness Road State Park hikers use technology to discover some interesting facts about native trees.

Wilderness State Park Interpreter Jesse Henderson scans a Tree QR Code on an Indian Ridge Trail marker

The battle to get folks to ignore their technology long enough to enjoy nature is real. Most everyone has smartphones nowadays. In fact, some of us feel as though we cannot function properly without a smartphone in our hand. And, well, some of us even feel like our phones are now a permanent appendage growing from our hand.

So, at Wilderness Road State Park, we decided to concede part of the battle but the war is far from over. As one of his first projects, our new Chief Ranger, Andrew Peal, decided to integrate technology along our Indian Ridge Trail in hopes of enticing hikers to make use of their smartphones in a way many have never thought of.

Peal is taking advantage of QR codes that have been printed and posted on the trail’s tree identification placards. These code will be used as means to further educate hikers about the area’s native trees. Now guests can simply walk up to a placard and scan the code with their smartphone to unlock a wealth of knowledge about that particular tree. For example, if a visitor was hiking along the trail and wanted to know more about the Sugar Maple, they simply have to get out their smartphone and scan the QR code, which instantly connects the user to the U.S. Department of Forestry website, which offers a tremendous amount of information.

Peal got the idea while working at Pocahontas State Park where a similar idea was being worked on. He tweaked it a little bit and began implementing it here at Wilderness Road. He thinks that it will be a great opportunity for families to come together and learn about nature while hiking in a beautiful area.

The park is looking at other uses of this technology, such as placing a QR code on the Martin’s Station interpretive placard, which will offer visitors a more in-depth look at the fort, its history and importance. We are also looking at placing a few placards and QR codes along the Wilderness Road Trail for those avid bird-watchers, which will not only identify the bird, but give useful information such as migration, nesting, food source and more.

Now we are setting our sites on other ways to integrate technology into the natural setting in hopes of providing new ways for hikers to gain information, while also appealing to newer customers.

So come out to Wilderness Road State Park, visit Martin's Station, view the Karlan Mansion, soak in the sight of the Cumberland Mountain and take a hike on our Indian Ridge Trail and discover our native trees!