Research Tools & Sources
Useful sources for research (add specific URLs or tools as discovered):
- Trails: AllTrails, HikingProject, state park trail finders
- Hot springs: ranger district websites for seasonal conditions, recreation.gov
- Tide tables: NOAA Tides and Currents (tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov)
- Road conditions: state DOT sites, USFS road condition reports
- Fungi / naturalist: iNaturalist observation data by region and month
- Accommodations: Booking.com, Airbnb, Hotels.com, direct motel websites
- Passes: Recreation.gov (America the Beautiful Pass), state park annual passes
Map Production
The plan must include a KML file (plan/route.kml) per specs/14-map-deliverable.md.
How to generate the KML
Produce plan/route.kml as a standard KML 2.2 file containing:
-
Route lines —
<LineString>placemarks tracing the northbound and southbound paths along actual roads (10–30 coordinate points is sufficient; this is spatial orientation, not turn-by-turn navigation) -
Lodging pins — one
<Point>placemark per night, labeledNight 1 — [Town], etc. -
Key area pins —
<Point>placemarks for each significant natural area in the plan, labeled descriptively (e.g.,Humbug Mountain — coastal hiking) -
Style — use distinct
<Style>blocks with color differentiation for lodging vs. natural areas vs. route lines
Offline delivery to the traveler
Include in the plan document:
## Using the Map Offline
1. **Google My Maps (pre-trip):** Go to mymaps.google.com → Create → Import → upload `route.kml`.
Gives a shareable, visual, editable map.
2. **Gaia GPS (offline in the field):** In Gaia GPS app → Import → select `route.kml`.
All pins are visible offline once imported. Recommended for field use.
3. **Google Maps:** Open `route.kml` in Google Drive, then "Open with Google My Maps."
Save the map areas for offline use in the Google Maps app.
Google Maps segment links
For each day's primary driving segment, include a Google Maps URL in the plan:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/[origin]/[destination]