AT Park Crossings - WhiteBlaze

AT Park Crossings

Published by Alligator
08-09-2007

Attached Files

	AT Parks.zip (7.76 MB, 81 views)
	Parks and Forests Along AT.doc (33.0 KB, 124 views)

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AT Park Crossings

I used the GIS information available at the ATC site to create a map of major state parks and forests that touch the AT. This map has clickable links. A couple of things to say about it.

1. It only contains those parks and forests provided in the original layer at the ATC site and that intersect the AT. Small parks are not included, i.e. Pen Mar. Larger nearby parks were removed. The metadata is included in the .htm files.
2. To use, one has to download ArcReader to view the map. It is a somewhat large viewing program available from ESRI(175MB).
3. Then extract the zip folder. I'm fairly certain it will extract into a folder named AT Parks. All of the files need to be included. Don't move any of the files separately.
4. The exact file to open is the AT_parks_only.pmf file. This will open in ArcReader. I included the arcmap file if you should happen to have that. The file for Arcmap is AT_parks_only.mxd.
5. I turned off the shelters and roads layers. Just check the box if you wish to see these.
6. To use the links, there is a lightening bolt icon. Click on that then find the park you wish to link to, then click on the park. I used as many of the official links that I could find, and I may have missed a link or two.
7. The icon with the letter i is the information icon. This can be used to identify map objects. For instance, I didn't turn the labels on for the shelters, so this tool could be used to get the names.

This is my second pass. I can make corrections or alterations if anyone is interested. I could add additional smaller parks if I had the data. Best if it was already a vector or raster file. If there is anything screwy with this file, let me know and I will do what I can to fix it. Sorry that the files are somewhat large, but that is the nature of GIS files.

By Alligator on 08-09-2007, 10:17

OK, I fixed a couple of links and replaced the zip file

. I am also adding a word doc with the links for all the parks/forests included on the map. This is much smaller if you don't have a fast connection.

Last edited by Alligator; 08-10-2007 at 08:54. Reason: Moved attachment.

By attroll on 08-10-2007, 00:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alligator

OK, I fixed a couple of links and replaced the zip file

. I am also adding a word doc with the links for all the parks/forests included on the map. This is much smaller if you don't have a fast connection.

Gator

Why don't you attach the word document to the original post? So that everything in in the first post.

By Alligator on 08-10-2007, 08:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by attroll

Gator

Why don't you attach the word document to the original post? So that everything in in the first post.

I was afraid nobody would look at the map then

, especially those Blue-Blazers

. I'll move it up though

By DewDrop on 08-19-2007, 18:28

An Apple a day . . . .

Looks as if the Mac loses out on this otherwise wonderful service. Hope that the deluxe version will cover those with the computer gem of the times.

DewDrop

By Alligator on 08-20-2007, 08:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by DewDrop

Looks as if the Mac loses out on this otherwise wonderful service. Hope that the deluxe version will cover those with the computer gem of the times.

DewDrop

Sorry about that. I didn't see any options for the Reader for Mac either. I'm not sure if ESRI has a version of ARC for Macs?

I'm looking into how other folks publish interactive maps on the web. Like how some states have clickable maps for their state parks. I know it's kind of cumbersome how I have this set up but I don't do any web publishing myself. I've tried exporting it as .pdf and .emf but it loses the links and not every feature shows labels depending on the scale.

By LIhikers on 08-30-2007, 21:20

In New York the AT goes through Harriman State Park, Bear Mountain State Park, and Clarence Fahnestock State Park. The word document doesn't list NY.

By Alligator on 08-31-2007, 11:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by LIhikers

In New York the AT goes through Harriman State Park, Bear Mountain State Park, and Clarence Fahnestock State Park. The word document doesn't list NY.

These parks were not included on the map layer from ATC so I didn't think to add them to the Word doc. I will add them to the Word list and look into getting the park polygons to add to the map.

The Word doc is added to this message pending editing issue.

Attached Files

Parks and Forests Along AT.doc (35.5 KB, 17 views)

Last edited by Alligator; 08-31-2007 at 11:46.

By rscnole on 12-26-2007, 16:39

ESRI Data and Maps

Have you thought of using the ESRI data and Maps CD? They have a parks file of all the parks in the US and Canada down to a the local level, including the above parks.

By Alligator on 12-26-2007, 16:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by rscnole

Have you thought of using the ESRI data and Maps CD? They have a parks file of all the parks in the US and Canada down to a the local level, including the above parks.

I'll take a look and see if I have that.

#10

By ki0eh on 12-27-2007, 09:22

I've found the ESRI Data and Maps CD to be a bit inconsistent in its parks coverage.

I recently did some stuff for the GET which is conjectured to pass through Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park on the TN/GA line. The ESRI CD had that national park on the TN side but not GA. Then in PA it has some state forests but not all.

So then you head into GIS 201 and you need supplemental data.

New York State has a clearinghouse http://nysgis.state.ny.us/ , however to access the actual data you may need to talk yourself into affiliation with a clearinghouse member organization or (worse yet, as I've done it) into becoming a clearinghouse member organization which at least used to be a bureaucratic hassle.

Pennsylvania is more generous as you can download state park, state forest, and state game land shapefiles anonymously from http://www.pasda.psu.edu/ . I must warn you that the PA SGL data from this site is TERRIBLE and I've had to, in critical areas, go back through and re-edit boundaries based on other source data (such as county parcels if I'm both lucky enough to get those, and if it's any better - or failing that, superimposing on raster USGS quads). PA DCNR park and forest boundary information seems much more accurate.

Georgia has some good park boundary information in http://www.gis.state.ga.us/ , as I recall one needs to sign up for a username and password but that's a one or two day deal not the pain of sending in notarized forms and certificates of incorporation as a non-profit that NY was.

I think Tennessee's clearinghouse didn't have park boundaries, and I haven't yet found anything that good even, for VA or WV.

I've not had any reason to get into New England, NC, or NJ data yet so can't even point to a place to start on those.

Speaking of quads, the USDA has a site http://datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov/ where you can download countywide mosaics of USGS 7.5' quads in MrSID. Saves a lot of work getting and compiling quads, especially as they include quads that have even a little bit in the county that's mosaicked, so you don't often need to download both counties when your feature of interest tends to follow county lines. You need the right version of Java in your browser to use this USDA datagateway site, and also need to enter your name, address, etc. to get eAuthenticated. Once you get the county quad files you need to set your .mxd file data frame to NAD 1983 UTM meters in the zone USDA assigns each county to, to have everything line up if you use these.

#11

By sasquatch2014 on 12-27-2007, 09:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alligator

Thats kind of funny that the ATC didn't have Bear Mt or Harriman SP on its Map. I mean these are only the first sections completed just for the trail. No history there at all. I just find somethings funny at times.

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