Key:checkpoint
 checkpoint
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| Description |
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A checkpoint where visitors can obtain evidence of having visited a certain location  
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| Group: tourism |
| Used on these elements |
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| Useful combination |
Status: approved
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| Tools for this tag |
This tag indicates a checkpoint where tourists can
1. obtain evidence of having visited a certain location or
2. enter themselves into an official register or
3. leave an informal comment in a notebook (guestbook).
Such checkpoints serve touristical purposes exclusively. For checkpoints used to control access or check personal documents see "Checkpoint for person/access control".
Checkpoint for evidence of visit
Checkpoints to obtain an evidence of visiting a certain spot are found primarily on hiking or cycling routes but sometimes also at spots accessible for visitors using a car or travelling by rail.
Such checkpoints are usually implemented and maintained by a public or private operator and set along a well established hiking or cycling route or, independent from a route, cover a certain touristically developed area. The latter option is chosen to lead visitors to various points of interest within such an area. It does not require to follow a certain route; these checkpoints can be visited in any order. In both cases the sum of all checkpoints belonging together are referred to as "checkpoint network" below.
The evidence of having visited a certain checkpoint is usually obtained by stamping a stamp-booklet issued by the operator. Besides this most common type there are also other means of evidence, as listed in the table "Checkpoint type".
Visitor having obtained evidence of visiting all the checkpoints of a network will usually receive some kind of award.
Checkpoint for visitor registration
Registration checkpoints are often found at trail heads, intersections or camp grounds of trails passing through remote areas, national parks or wilderness areas. Usually the registers are issued by the authority or organization in charge of the trail or area and serve control purposes. These registers can be very helpful in cases of visitors who got lost and have to be searched by rescue teams. Registration checkpoints are tagged as checkpoint:type=register exclusively.
For more details see: https://discover.hubpages.com/sports/What-is-a-Trail-Register.
Checkpoint with guestbook
A guestbook, in most cases a simple notebook, can sometimes be found at shelters or points of interest at less frequented trails. Leaving a comment in such a guestbook does not serve as an evidence of visit nor as registration. Guestbooks usually are set up by the local organization maintaining the trail and may be used to gain a rough estimation of the number of visitors. Use checkpoint:type=notebook for these guestbooks.
Guestbooks may also be found at checkpoints for evidence of visiting, in addition to the means of evidence available (stamp etc.). In these cases a separate tagging of the guestbook is not necessary.
Often guestbooks are found at mountain peaks, called summit book or summit register. These are tagged as summit:register=yes as an attribute to the peak itself.
How to map
Checkpoints can be set up as separate objects like a box, containing a stamp, puncher (or any other validation device), register or notebook, fixed to a pole, a building or any other object but they also can be incorporated in another publicly accessible place like a museum, a tourist information, a pub or the like.
If the checkpoint is a separate object set a node at the correct position and add the tags
tourism=checkpointandcheckpoint=hikingorcheckpoint=cyclingorcheckpoint=touringif the checkpoint can be reached by any kind of travelling
as well as
If the checkpoint is incorporated in another object (as described above) it is recommended to set a separate node into or beneath that object and tag it as described above. This is the most simple way to avoid any tagging conflict in between the 2 objects.
It is also possible to just add the checkpoint tags to the surrounding object but you have to be aware that this may cause tagging conflicts with the tags tourism=*, operator=*, website=* and description=* which may be needed for both of the 2 objects.
Checkpoint type
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
checkpoint:type=stamp
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A stamping point to obtain evidence of visit by using a stamp booklet |
checkpoint:type=puncher
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A punching device ("hole punch") to punch holes of different patterns, similar to stamping |
checkpoint:type=code
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A code, displayed on a sign, that needs to be written down as evidence |
checkpoint:type=electronic
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An electronic evidence device used with a timing tag |
checkpoint:type=photo
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A place where visitors can make a selfie as evidence |
checkpoint:type=qr_code
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A QR_code which has to be scanned with an app for evidence |
checkpoint:type=register
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A register where visitors are expected to register their visit |
checkpoint:type=notebook
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A guestbook where visitors can enter an informal comment |
Other tags
name=*is the name of the checkpoint only - do not use it for the name of the course. If the checkpoint does not have a name, just skip this tag.ref=*is used for the number of the checkpoint (in case the checkpoints of a course are numbered)description=*is used for any additional description to this checkpoint, not for the name of the checkpoint or the networkoperator=*operator of the checkpoint networkwebsite=*website of the checkpoint if a separate website is existingoperator:website=*website of the operatorele=*elevation of the checkpoint (if verifyable)course=*name of the checkpoint network, only in case the network is not mapped as a relation
How to map checkpoint networks
There are to ways to map checkpoint networks. Generally as a relation type network, or under certain conditions by use of the tag course=*.
Mapping as relation
This is the most simple approach to map a checkpoint network. All checkpoints belonging to one network will be added to a relation type network. If a checkpoint belongs to more than one network (which it the case quite often) the checkpoint can simply be added to different relations. If using this option it is not necessary and not recommended to add the tag course=* to every checkpoint.
A checkpoint network relation does not replace the route relations of the hiking route(s) being affected. The route relation(s) must always be mapped as separate objects.
Mapping with the tag course=*
Another option to map checkpoint networks is by adding the tag course=* to every single checkpoint of that network. Please note that this is only possible if all the checkpoints belong exclusively to one network and if the network is not subject to international names, as course=* cannot be used with a language suffix.
Every hiking/cycling route being the base for a checkpoint network tagged with course=* must be mapped as separate route relation.
Examples
1. Checkpoint of Magyar Természetbarát Szövetség:
name=Írott-kő tourism=checkpoint checkpoint=hiking checkpoint:type=stamp course=Országos Kéktúra operator=Magyar Természetbarát Szövetség website=http://termeszetbarat.hu/turamozgalmak/orszagos_kektura
This network follows a well known hiking route with the english name "Countrywide Blue Tour". To add the english name it is necessary to map this network as relation with name=Országos Kéktúra and name:en=Countrywide Blue Tour, because course=* (= name of the network) cannot be used with a language suffix.
2. Checkpoint of Touringen network:
tourism=checkpoint checkpoint=hiking checkpoint:type=stamp name=Grenzturm Grabenweg ref=300 operator=FUNKE Medien Thüringen GmbH operator:website=https://www.touringen.de/
(Mapped as part of the network relation "Stempelstellen Touringen")
3. Mixed tagging of a checkpoint of Junta de Galicia inside a pub (not recommended):
building=yes name=John Bull Pub tourism=checkpoint checkpoint=hiking checkpoint:type=stamp course=El Camino de Santiago name:en=Way of St. James operator=Junta de Galicia website=http://www.caminosantiagodecompostela.com/ description=nice bar
Following the 1 feature = 1 OSM element rule it is not advisable to mix different objects in one element. Much better to have separate elements for the building, the pub and the checkpoint, with the checkpoint tagged as
tourism=checkpoint checkpoint=hiking checkpoint:type=stamp name=John Bull Pub operator=Junta de Galicia operator:website=http://www.caminosantiagodecompostela.com/
being part of a network relation with name=El Camino de Santiago and name:en=Way of St. James
Checkpoint for person/access control
Checkpoints for access control, checking of personal documents etc. are not mapped by using checkpoint=*. For these kinds of checkpoints please use
Related forum discussions
https://community.openstreetmap.org/t/unapprove-existing-proposal-or-what-about-checkpoints/136644