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View Full Version : The AT is on Google Maps



burger
03-14-2012, 14:15
So is the PCT. And a bunch of the Arizona Trail. And a lot of smaller trails.

To see them, you have to be on "terrain" view, and you have to zoom in most of the way so that the scale is about 1" per mile or larger. The tracks aren't perfectly accurate, but the parts that I checked seemed close. Enjoy!

paintedstars
03-14-2012, 14:50
So does this mean that I can use Google Maps on my phone to navigate when needed on the trail? I wish there were a way to use my Droid Bionic as a gps to make way points. From reading about the different apps they have available, it doesn't seem like anything really is that great.

jdg
03-14-2012, 16:40
I still prefer a good guide book

1azarus
03-14-2012, 16:49
wow. when did that happen? i've always used postholer's maps to find road crossing locations, then switched back to google maps to plan trailhead parking. glad to see it.

SCRUB HIKER
03-14-2012, 19:03
That's sweet, thanks for posting it. Just click to the first or second zoom level and it's a dashed line through the mountains.

GrassyNoel
03-14-2012, 19:25
I noticed this last weekend. I didn't know it was new. A nice feature if you need it! If only GPS didn't wipe my iPhone battery out so quickly...

WingedMonkey
03-14-2012, 19:48
I noticed a few weeks ago some of the Florida Trial was on Google Map, seems like so far it's mostly whats in the National Forests.

WingedMonkey
03-14-2012, 19:50
I noticed a few weeks ago some of the Florida Trial was on Google Map, seems like so far it's mostly whats in the National Forests.

I tried to add some points while on "walk" mode, no luck.

Rain Man
03-15-2012, 10:44
wow. when did that happen? i've always used postholer's maps to find road crossing locations, then switched back to google maps to plan trailhead parking. glad to see it.

I assume you're speaking of other trails, because for the AT, the ATC inter-active map is great for that.

Rain:sunMan

.

ambroseya
03-15-2012, 10:54
Look for walking directions and sometimes it will route you on them =)

I laughed very much when printing (driving) directions from my house to Newfound Gap for a day hike last weekend; the last instruction was "turn left at Appalachian Trail"

bamboo bob
03-15-2012, 11:22
I played with it in VT and Massachusetts. It is only partial and inaccurate too. It goes on a couple of roads I never heard of. Not reliable there anyway. I tried finding it at Springer too. Maybe in the 2.0 version it will be useful.

burger
03-15-2012, 13:45
I played with it in VT and Massachusetts. It is only partial and inaccurate too. It goes on a couple of roads I never heard of. Not reliable there anyway. I tried finding it at Springer too. Maybe in the 2.0 version it will be useful.
I just checked that area. MA was around 98% accurate--there was a missing stretch north of Jug End. Vermont was a bit of a mess--they don't even show the trail over Stratton Mountain for some reason.

waasj
03-22-2012, 20:42
Noticed it a couple of years ago while planning my Smokeys section. Seems like a hassle to carry an iPhine, charger etc, just to navigate when a paper map is much lighter....

malowitz
03-22-2012, 21:10
paintedstars - there are ways to do what you're wanting. You can get the trail centerline data from the AT website (I think it is in one or 2 *.kmz files). But it has a lot of waypoints. You have to take another program to reduce the waypoints to make it user friendly or somehow limit your data if you're going to try to use a phone to look-up/track. You can use the MY MAPS feature and ap and track your own route too.

SCRUB HIKER
03-28-2012, 02:34
I just noticed that the AT is labeled as a minor road now on the regular map and satellite features on Google Maps--not just as a random dashed line in the super-zoomed-in terrain feature. This is what the edge of Erwin, TN looks like: http://www.google.com/maphp?q=Unicoi+County+TN&ll=36.105185,-82.447522&spn=0.00898,0.01929&t=h&hnear=Unicoi,+Tennessee&z=16

SCRUB HIKER
03-28-2012, 02:39
My next question would be: when will we get a Google Street View of the entire AT? They've already got most towns in America, and the Trans-Siberian Railroad (http://www.google.ru/intl/ru/landing/transsib/en.html)...

amac
03-28-2012, 04:46
Several years ago, Google had lots of trails shown in Terrain view, but then all of a sudden they disappeared. Looks like they're working their way back. I checked out the White Mountains area. Very incomplete and inaccurate. But, at least it looks like they're making progress.

moytoy
03-28-2012, 04:58
My next question would be: when will we get a Google Street View of the entire AT? They've already got most towns in America, and the Trans-Siberian Railroad (http://www.google.ru/intl/ru/landing/transsib/en.html)...

You could volunteer to hike the AT with that wide angel lens. :)

burger
03-28-2012, 08:23
FWIW, I looked at some spots on the PCT, and it looks pretty accurate from what I can remember.