ARLINGTON, Va.—For the second year, The Conservation Fund has teamed up with Google Maps to provide Street View virtual tours of some of America’s most renowned and treasured places. From the hallowed battlefields of Gettysburg to the rugged trails that Lewis and Clark explored on their journey west, people can now explore, hike and paddle—via their digital devices—important historic and cultural sites protected by The Conservation Fund and its partners at Google Map’s Street View. 

Using Google’s Street View Trekker, a 4-foot-tall, 40-pound camera and backpack, staff from the Fund and its local partners set out to create a 360-degree digital view of the trails, waterways, landscapes, vistas and outdoor sites where America’s story begins. Now students, families and outdoor enthusiasts of all ages can go online to explore and enjoy six newly available sites, including the historic route charted by Captain Meriwether Lewis and William Clark at the Fort to Sea Trail in Oregon; the curving paddle trails and moss-draped swamps of the Roanoke River in North Carolina; and the quiet, rolling fields of the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania.

“Making Street View imagery of these iconic and historic places available to people all over the world to explore and enjoy is a true honor,” said Deanna Yick, Google Maps Street View Program Manager. “We hope it inspires people to learn more about these sites and visit them in person one day.”

“Over the last three decades, The Conservation Fund has worked to redefine conservation and protect the places where American history was made. Our lands and waters are the backdrop for our most poignant national memories: homesteads, explorations, war, escape, adventure and more,” said The Conservation Fund’s president and CEO, Larry Selzer. “Through this partnership with Google, we are able to share the experience of visiting these significant places with everyone, wherever you live. This is especially important as we help connect children and nature by providing a springboard for personal exploration of the great outdoors and America’s natural heritage.”

Take a virtual tour with Street View Trekker of places The Conservation Fund and its federal, state and local partners helped to protect.

Explore the hallowed battle grounds that were the turning point of the Civil War: Gettysburg National Military Park, Pennsylvania
Conservation Partner: National Park Service

Follow in the footsteps of a groundbreaking expedition: Fort to Sea Trail, part of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, Oregon
Conservation Partner: National Park Service

Honor the memory of the passengers of Flight 93: Flight 93 National Memorial, Pennsylvania
Conservation Partner: National Park Service & Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

See the stunning beauty of a landscape that has taken 400 million years to form: Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area, Georgia
Conservation Partner: Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance

Journey through the rich heritage of the Roanoke River: Roanoke River Partners Paddle Trail, North Carolina
Conservation Partners: Roanoke River Partners

Experience the highest elevation hiking trail in eastern North America: Black Mountain Crest Trail, North Carolina
Conservation Partners: High Peaks Trail Association & North Carolina State Parks 

About The Conservation Fund
At The Conservation Fund, we make conservation work for America. By creating solutions that make environmental and economic sense, we are redefining conservation to demonstrate its essential role in our future prosperity. Top-ranked for efficiency and effectiveness, we have worked in all 50 states since 1985 to protect more than 7.5 million acres of land. 

From a one-acre urban park in Atlanta to one million acres of open space at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, our diverse portfolio illustrates the breadth of our creativity. We’ve worked in every state preserving forests, deserts, parks, waterways and every type of landscape in between. From the thousand-year-old homes of our earliest ancestors to the hallowed ground of Flight 93, the historic places we’ve protected tell the story of America. We’ve helped build smarter, greener cities, like Ann Arbor and Milwaukee, and we invest in sustainable nature-based ventures, like working forests in the redwood region of northern California. From multi-generational ranching families to the Native Alaskan people, to the occasional outdoor recreationist, our work benefits all Americans. www.conservationfund.org 

Press Release Contacts
Ann Simonelli | The Conservation Fund | asimonelli@conservationfund.org | (703) 908-5809
Susan Cadrecha | Google | scadrecha@google.com | (404) 273-2648