BeachMapData and methodology
How BeachMap sources, updates, and presents beach information.
Beach and parking data
BeachMap starts with public geographic data from OpenStreetMap. Parking lot coverage also uses National Park Service ArcGIS layers where available.
Conditions and photos
Climate snapshots come from Open-Meteo. Some beach photos come from Wikimedia Commons and include visible source and creator credit.
Community reports
Beachgoers can submit parking and conditions reports. BeachMap limits these updates to one report per user to reduce duplicate reporting. Reports can become outdated, so confirm local signs, closures, and conditions before you travel.