Users, reviews and links


    Impressive examples of maps shared by users.

All kinds of different information can be shared by (1) building a data file, (2) placing that data file online and (3) making a URL to share your map with people around the world. Here are few examples of maps showing trails and related features.

Trails in the Clackamas River Ranger District of the Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon
Click a symbol for more information.

Network of trails in and around Groton, MA
Follow the "Interactive map" link. This mapping began as an Eagle Scout project and has now expanded to a community wide effort.

Part route (difficulty "strenous to lethal") and part trail across the Kalmiopsis Wilderness of Oregon.
Produced by the Siskiyou Mountain Club

10 day backpack in Torres del Paine in the Chilean Patagonia.
Author's blog: Footprints

Big Sur and Ventana/SilverPeak Wilderness Areas, California. Map shows accurate trail and camp locations based on local knowledge (often GPS'd) and also locally-known "use trails", water sources, waterfalls and other features.
Related website: http://www.ventanahiking.net/

    Gmap4 maps in the news.

Gmap4 can be used for much more than just trail maps. Here are two maps with information about floods in 2011.

Missouri River 2011 flood information assembled by the Nebraska Extension Service. Scroll down a bit and then along the righthand side click the link titled "Enhanced Google map covering the Missouri River". The map that opens is running in an "iframe" and is fully functional. Click some of the symbols. Missouri River map and links to current and forecast flows.

Souris River 2011 flood information from the Emergency Management Department of Ward County, North Dakota. See the link titled "Souris River Online Topographical Map - Live". Click some of the symbols. Souris River map and links to current and forecast flows.

    Gmap4 works worldwide.

If you know of another site outside of North America with links to Gmap4 maps, please let us know.

United Kingdom
hhttp://www.wowzers.webspace.virginmedia.com/walks.htm

Italy
http://patotato.it/

Netherlands
http://www.dehulst.nl/ci-bin/gc_sub.pl?stylesheet=/XSL/stage0.xsl


    Gmap4 reviews. More features have been added since the older reviews were published.

The Net Commish - A Boy Scout related site. April 2012
High Adventure Topo Maps Via Gmap4

Blog post by Nate - the GPSGeek. Updated early 2011
The Giant GPS Data Sharing Shootout

Google Maps Mania, December 29, 2009
http://googlemapsmania.blogspot.com/2009/12/us-canada-topographical-map.html

Free Geography Tools, Early 2010
http://freegeographytools.com/2010/topographic-maps-for-the-us-and-canada-in-a-google-maps-interface


    Gmap4 special mention.

Mazamas - Portland, Orgon
Tip of the Week - 2/24/2011   Free maps with Gmap4

Back Country Horsemen of America
http://www.backcountryhorse.com/Resources.html


    Government websites using or linking to Gmap4.

U.S. National Weather Service. Gmap4 is included in a list of mapping applications that can display KML/KMZ files. This list is displayed by clicking 'Credits' at the very bottom of most NWS pages. The NWS maintains many KML/KMZ files with weather forecast data that you can view with Gmap4.

U.S. Geological Survey - North Dakota. See the links titled "Online Topographic Map of the Missouri River" and "Regional Map of the Missouri/Yellowstone Confluence Area".

Fresno County Fire Protection District


    Science-oriented websites using Gmap4.

Poplar Science article on the flood along the lower Mississippi River in 2011. The map in the article is 'live' and can be zoomed, panned, etc.

The National Biological Information Infrastructure   Access to biological data.
The National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) is a broad, collaborative program to provide increased access to data and information on the nation's biological resources. Administered by the Biological Informatics Office of the U.S. Geological Survey.


    Recreational websites that are using our Gmap4 online service to share maps include the ones listed below. If you know of additional websites sharing interactive maps using Gmap4, please let me know so they can be included. Where possible, I noted the primary area of interest for each site.

http://www.adirondackrock.com/map.htm   Adirondacks, USA.
Rock climbing locations.

http://www.bivouac.com   Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia
Logon (free account needed) then click Peak Lists. Keep clicking till you see the details for any peak. Then click the "Topo Map" link. This site has a database of information related to trails, roads and other features. When you ask to see a map that database is used to generate a delimited text file on-the-fly. The information in that delimited text file is displayed on the map.

http://www.bushwhackerclimbingclub.org   USA - Washington
Hiking, climbing, skiing and socializing. Membership fee.

http://climber.org   Western USA
This site has a database of information related to trails, roads and other features. When you ask to see a map that database is used to generate a delimited text file on-the-fly. The information in that delimited text file is displayed on the map.

http://www.jmt-hiker.com/   USA - California
Hiking the John Muir Trail.

http://www.hikingtrails-california.com/trails.html   USA - California
Good descriptions of selected trails.

http://idahosummits.com/   USA - Idaho
Peak lists, message board, trip reports.

http://www.mtbguru.com   Worldwide
Mountain biking. Look at the details for any trip. Scroll down to the map. Under that map is a Gmap4 link which displays the map and track full screen.

http://www.nwhikers.net   USA - Washington State
Hiking, scrambling and socializing. Forums with Gmap4 running in iframes. Search the 'Trip Report' forum on Gmap4.

http://www.peakbagger.com   Worldwide
Information and statistics about mountain peaks. Trip reports and personal logs.

http://www.roseadventures.com/index.html   USA - California (some elsewhere)
Mainly hiking/scrambling.

https://sites.google.com/site/siskiyoumtclub/literature   USA - Oregon
The Siskiyou Mountain Club was formed to promote, enhance and preserve primitive outdoor destinations in the Siskiyou Backcountry. They coordinate stewardship projects, produce informative materials, and lead active outdoor adventures for the public.

http://summitsearch.org   Canada
Climbing, scrambling. Trip reports.

http://www.tetonhikes.com   USA - Wyoming
Trail conditions and reviews. Plus related information about hiking and camping in Grand Teton National Park.

http://www.trailadvocate.org   USA - Oregon
Hiking trails in the Clackamas River Ranger District of the Mount Hood National Forest in Oregon.
Under Menu, click: Trail Index ==> click any trail ==> Topo Map.

http://wyoming13ers.com   USA - Wyoming
Peaks in Wyoming that are over 13,000 ft high.


    Gmap4 used on Facebook sites

http://apps.facebook.com/snowlog/   Worldwide
Skiing site. Upload GPS tracks.


    Gmap4 used in education

Outdoor Quest   USA - Oregon
Uses Gmap4 to help provide training in GPS, map & compass navigation.


    Gmap4 used for environmental issues

http://quittapahillawatershedassociation.org/watershed.aspx   Save Our Allegheny Ridges (SOAR)
The Quittapahilla Watershed, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania.

http://www.saveouralleghenyridges.org   Save Our Allegheny Ridges (SOAR)
Wind farm issues. Click the link for "PA Wind Projects Map".


    Websites that have kindly allowed me to post about Gmap4 in their forums

Adirondacks - adkforum
Adirondacks - adkhighpeaks
Austin Explorer
Backpacking Arkansas
Big Bend Chat
Bogley Outdoor Community
Bushwalk Australia
Cascade Climbers
Equipped to Survive
Garmin forum
Geocache forum
Georgia Hikes
GPS Passion
High Sierra Topix
Hunting Washington
lists of John
MbPost (Mountain bike)
Meetup - OC Hiking Club (Orange County, California)
Michigan Sportsman
Mountain Project
Mountain Bike Forums
National Geographic TOPO!
POI Factory
Portland Hikers
River Miles
Summit Post
The Outdoors Forum
Trail Place
Trail Space
White Blaze
Mt Whitney Hikers Association
Yosemite News


    Banned!!!  What were they thinking???
These websites have refused to let me post about Gmap4 in their forums. If you post in any of these forums, please let them know that Gmap4 is a good thing and not a bad thing. Thanks!

14ers
Alpine Zone
Arkansas Backcountry
Backpacker
MNOutdoorsman (Minnesota)
Trail Forums
Wisconsin Outdoors


    If you do not already know about the following useful sites, consider taking a moment to check them out.

http://www.mytopo.com/
This company provides the topographic map tiles displayed by Gmap4. They sell custom maps that you design and which are printed on waterproof paper.

http://www.gpsbabel.org/
Gmap4 uses this freeware (they gratefully accept donations) to convert your GPX and TPO files into KML files since the Google Maps API cannot directly display those other file formats.

https://sites.google.com/
In order to display your GPS data with Gmap4, you first must place your data file online. If you do not have your own website for hosting your data, then consider using Google Sites. It is free, fast and easy. Detailed step-by-step instructions are included in the Gmap4 'Help' file.