Google Trekker: What It Is, What It’s Captured & How to Contribute (2026)

Google Trekker is the camera rig system that Google uses to capture Street View imagery in places where cars and trolleys can’t go — mountain trails, national parks, historic sites, remote villages, and even the interior of buildings and museums. A backpack-mounted 15-lens camera system, it’s been deployed by Google teams and trained external partners in over 80 countries since 2012, and the resulting imagery is available in Google Street View and Maps for anyone to explore. Here’s what it is, what it’s captured, and how you can use or even contribute to it.

What the Trekker Does

The Trekker is a 40-pound (18kg) backpack-mounted camera system housing 15 cameras arranged in a sphere, capturing continuous 360-degree imagery every 2.5 seconds as the wearer walks. GPS and sensor data stitches the photos into seamless panoramic sequences — the same format as Street View, just collected on foot in terrain where vehicles can’t operate. Processing happens after collection: imagery is stitched, blurred (faces and licence plates), and uploaded to Google Maps.

What Trekker Has Captured

The Trekker programme has produced some of Street View’s most remarkable imagery:

• National parks and trails: the Grand Canyon’s interior paths, Yosemite trails, Machu Picchu, the Amazon rainforest, Patagonia, and dozens of other wilderness areas now explorable from anywhere.
• Remote villages and communities: rural locations in developing countries, giving Street View coverage to places far from any road.
• Cultural heritage sites: Angkor Wat, Stonehenge, and World Heritage sites captured in 360° for anyone to explore.
• Polar and extreme environments: parts of the Arctic, Antarctic research stations, and other environments few people can physically reach.

The Street View Trusted Program (How to Contribute)

Google trains and certifies external contributors — photographers and businesses — through the Street View Trusted program (formerly known in part via the Trekker loan program). Contributors can capture and publish 360-degree imagery to Google Maps using approved cameras like the Google Street View Camera (via the Street View Studio), Insta360 Pro, or similar certified spherical cameras. Businesses use this to put virtual tours of their premises on Google Maps; adventure operators and trail organisations use it to publish trail imagery. If you have a specific trail or location that lacks Street View coverage, this is how new imagery gets added.

Exploring Trekker Imagery

All Trekker-captured imagery lives in Google Street View, accessible via Google Maps: zoom into any trail, park, or remote area with a blue dotted line (the foot-path equivalent of Street View’s blue roads) and you can explore it in 360°. On Google Maps, the Pegman icon (the little orange figure) shows where Street View imagery is available — blue dots and lines on trails indicate Trekker or similar foot-collected imagery. It’s one of Google Maps’ most underused features for travel planning and virtual exploration. If you use Google Maps for hiking and travel planning, our guide to the best travel apps covers the broader toolkit for trip planning on mobile.

FAQ

What is Google Trekker? A backpack-mounted 15-camera system used to capture Google Street View imagery on foot in locations inaccessible to cars — trails, parks, remote areas, and heritage sites.

Can I use Google Trekker imagery? Yes — all imagery is available in Google Street View and Maps. Explore any location with blue dots on trails in Google Maps to view Trekker-captured 360° imagery.

How does the Google Street View Trusted program work? Certified photographers and businesses can capture and publish 360° imagery to Google Maps using approved cameras, adding coverage for locations that Google’s own collection doesn’t reach.

Where can I find foot-level Street View imagery on Google Maps? Look for blue dots and dashed lines on trails in Google Maps (as opposed to solid blue lines for roads). Drag the Pegman icon to see where Street View is available.

Is the Google Trekker program still active? Yes — both Google’s own collection teams and external Street View Trusted contributors continue to add foot-level imagery globally.