In rural communities, don’t forget to engage with scout troops or other youth organizations (like, in the US, 4H or FFA or similar) that may need to complete certain public outreach programs to reach a higher rank in their clubs. Many trail improvements, marker placements, and memorials were constructed by such clubs near me, and other youngsters may be in need of a worthy project.
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Keep off the moors.
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Here are some more types of things that could be good wayspots in rural communities. These may take more work to get approved but could be great nominations.
- Barbers/Salons, not chains… bonus points if they’ve been there a long time. You’ll need to show this to be a gathering/social spot.
- Non-chain pharmacies that have soda/lunch counters. There still are some around. Now they’re relics of a passed time and may have local historic importance.
- Historic buildings.
In small towns, old buildings frequently were once used differently than they are now or may have a cool story behind them. Seek out local people who may know about your community’s past. Look especially for things like the square and compass above the entrance of what now looks like a two floored business or pub with a lack of windows on the second floor. It used to be (or may still be) a Masonic lodge.
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I literally got a warning from niantic that they’ll ban me if i nominate “poor wayspots” and I submitted a GR trailmarker i am alright with getting nominations rejected but getting a warning from niantic because i submitted a trailmarker is a disgrace in my eyes and therefore i quit nominating a damn thing i nominated over 300 things that weren’t trailmarkers and were good pois (and they got accepted) and now i got a warning so unless niantic admits their fault i won’t do a damn thing in Wayfarer and i am spreading the word too
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On supporting photos… Photospheres are great but Google really doesn’t want you making them, equipment can be expensive. So this means that your supporting photo can be critical, try to get something in it that’s visible on satellite view if there’s no StreetView.
You can add links to things like OpenStreetMap or Bing Maps in the supporting text if they show the wayspot better. Sometimes the Bing imagery is much better than Google.
On trail markers: these are great but give some supporting evidence that it’s actually a trail, make sure that the supporting photo shows the surrounding area properly, wooded areas are hit-and-miss. Oh yeah, don’t submit a trail marker if you are in the Netherlands or Flanders…
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Can you show me your nominations for these? Pls ,
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Totally Shirtwod.
I use the ldwa.org.uk website to get the name of various trials. That or maybe town websites etc.
#bringbackstreetview
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Thanks for the advice on this, @ElfFromSpace, I was hoping you can help clarify a recent pair of rejections I received on a nomination I made. I figured out my error with my first submission, but I just received a rejection for my second, and I am wondering if that’s a legitimate or I should appeal?
The site I nominated is “Bashaw Cemetery” (south of the town of the same name in Alberta, pop 800). I’m Rural. Here was the first nomination I rejected (it’s on a gravel road, so I assumed that was why it was flagged as inappropriate).
Bashaw Cemetery
The Town of Bashaw Cemetery dates to the early 1900’s.
The Town of Bashaw Cemetery has mapped 1245 memorials dating back to the early 1900s and settlement of the region. The land where Bashaw is situated was homesteaded by Joe Louis, a Metis. A good poker hand won Mr Louis the land, which he sold to Mr Bashaw for $500.
(52565173 , -112979408)
After that was rejected, I travelled down the road the half mile to the Cemetery itself, and tried again with this new pic (from the updated location)
I just received that rejection notification… but every cemetery I pass both in the city and the country is already a pokestop, apart from this one… and this one is not only a historical cemetery, but currently in use (it’s only at 50% capacity), so… I get that grieving folks are not likely to be playing Pokemon Go, but if Cemeteries always seem to qualify, why not this one? What am I doing wrong, or do I let it go?
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Cemeteries especially an active cemetery, as you indicated this one is, are ineligible. See the description for Sensetive in the tooltip above.
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Whoa! I missed that… thank you @LetsRollGirl … I just assumed they were eligible given (as mentioned) every single cemetery I pass is already a pokestop, and many have pokestops that are memorials (artfully crafted) within. I accept this rejection. 
PS: I note that I currently have a Pokemon defending a Gym that is a cemetery (“Horn Hill Cemetery” between Red Deer and Pine Lake, Alberta).
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Yeah unfortunately you can’t always go by what is already in the game.
I really liked your write up. It’s unfortunate that this wasn’t an older/full cemetery. I think there is an exploration case for those.
Additionally the grave of a famous person can be accepted. And unique art at a cemetery could be considered (as long as it’s not part of a grave marker or burial set up).
So it might explain why you have seen wayspots at other cemeteries.
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Hi @CanisGideon,
I understand the confusion. Cemeteries are things that USED to be considered good wayspots, but Niantic changed the guidelines due to getting a lot of complaints from cemeteries where players were being a nuisance. Those cemeteries that complained had their wayspots removed. Ones that didn’t complain and already had wayspots kept them. And Niantic has indicated that cemeteries are generally considered “sensitive locations” which is a rejection reason.
This is somewhat contested, as Niantic has at times indicated that things with enough historical significance, such as graves of historic figures, and things that are memorials to groups rather than individual graves may be considered. For better or worse, most of the community just rejects anything cemetery related now.
BTW there is a channel for this sort of question the next time you would like help!
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I cannot express just how frustrated I am with the current situation over trail markers.
Some history:
Early on, Niantic said that trail signs had to be “Named trails” and “Not simply numbers” to qualify. People, including me, complained LOUDLY about how some official trail markers are just numbers and how what should matter is the drive to explore, not the quality of the sign.
Niantic reversed their stance and the popular Giffard Scale was introduced. Essentially trail markers with numbers and letters and arrows out along hiking trails should be accepted, named trails along sidewalks are ok, but simple arrows and numbers along lightposts and sidewalks are not eligible.
Then the Netherlands happened. A whole lot of people did some massively abusive things making every lightpost in existence a wayspot and some fake lightposts that didn’t even exist, and it took a huge amount of time and effort to clean it up. Since many of these abusive fakes were presented as “trail markers” by the abusers, Niantic has reacted strongly in the other direction.
For my part I am going to continue to nominate and approve trail markers that I consider to be valid, per the “Giffard scale”. Some players have received “educational emails” in regards to trail markers that Niantic rejected. I’d ask you to read that email closely, even post it if you like. The ones I’ve seen so far have been worded so that they are technically not warnings at all, even if they do contain some copy/pasted text that includes scary words like “infraction” “Ban” etc.
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I hesitate to add barbers/salons. In spite of understanding the position of @BlameJamal and others, and agreeing that some barbershops are justifiable as wayspots, I feel that most of them would fall under generic business in my view, and would not be a great thing for people to seek out as being generally eligible. The same goes for the pharmacies. I am aware of the retro ones you are referring to, but I think they are uncommon anymore and it’s much more likely people will find generic businesses that aren’t really suitable if they start hunting for them.
Historic buildings I will add! The challenge is that they have to be a suitable location, not a private residence, and it often takes a fair bit of research to submit them. Here’s one I did that I snapped the photo, nominated and held, and then talked to locals to get the story, and finally looked up some articles to verify! It was work, but it was also fascinating.
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Thanks again - I do appreciate the explanation and the I don’t disagree with Niantic’s decision. I wouldn’t want to be the cause of anyones discomfort either, if ever there were players poking around during a funeral.
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Frankly I wish I could disagree more strongly with it. If players just used half a whit of common sense, they could enjoy cemeteries as respectful visitors. It’s the small minority that ruined things for the rest of us. I LOVE cemeteries. I go out of my way to visit them when travelling. Alas, I have seen players doing a raid parking in people visiting a grave. I feel like pokestops in cemeteries are usually ok, but the gyms, the raids, and to a lesser extent the ingress players putting up BAF from them, right before dusk, cause issues.
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Valid wayspots in rural areas may not look “as good” or valid to reviewers from (or used to seeing nominations in) more populated areas. It often will become more important for the submitter to show how the nomination meets criteria. Good descriptions and supporting information will become more important.
Not everyone is particularly skilled at writing so take your time with this. You can put nominations on hold right after submitting them to give yourself time to write descriptions and support. I also know at least one person who planned this out in advance, cutting and pasting the description and support in when doing the nomination in game.
Related to this, I tell everyone who will listen to expect your reviewers will spend no more time on reviewing your nomination than you did in making it. No one expects a thesis paper for your nomination, but “low effort” or “no effort” submissions are much more likely to get quickly rejected. A little bit of effort can often turn a very marginal submission into a great one that’s easily accepted.
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