New cell phone tour launched at Palmetto Islands County Park

Image by Flickr user Yutaka Tsutano

What if you could have your own personal guide join you on your park visit to describe the natural and cultural history of everything you see? Palmetto Islands County Park in Mount Pleasant is making that happen.

The park’s new interpretive cell phone tour, which opened Fall 2011, allows visitors to access audio recordings, photos, and videos about Palmetto Islands County Park.

At ten stops throughout the park, visitors can use their personal cell phones to access information about their surroundings. Verbal and pictorial details of park locations such as Nature Island, the lookout tower, and the oyster restoration area give guests an interesting overview of the archaeology and anthropology of the parkland. They can hear information and sound clips about the unique natural and cultural history of the park and the area, as well as information on waterways and different environmental zones of the park. With the cell phone tour, plants and animals within the park become easier to spot. Patrons can learn how animals interact with their environment and tie into the park’s history. Interesting facts and tidbits greatly enhance park visits and open guests’ eyes to natural inhabitants they may never have noticed. It’s like having an interpretive tour guide lead the way through the park!

Users who have smart phones with a barcode scanning application may also scan QR codes on site to access the tour and follow on-screen instructions to view select photos directly on their mobiles. Photos include plant, insect and animal life that one may spot while in the park, as well as diagrams, park photos, maps and more. There is no fee for the tour, but users are required to utilize their personal cell phone minutes.

“This is an exciting new interpretive product that we believe will add a great deal of value to patrons’ visits,” said CCPRC Interpretation and Stewardship Manager Mark Madden.

Palmetto Islands County Park is a 943-acre park in a tropical setting, located off Long Point Road in Mount Pleasant at 444 Needlerush Parkway. For more information about the park, call (843) 795-4386 or visit www.ccprc.com.

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