Ken Hilburn

March 31, 2021

Step 2: Collect data

There's no shortage of information out there about the Appalachian Trail, but to understand how to access all of the AT in GA in day-sized chunks required a fair amount of research. 

Some sources I considered:

  • The National Park Service's NPS Appalachian Trail Map -- The NPS, in conjunction with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy leveraged ArcGIS to provide an interactive map of the entire AT.
  • The United States Geological Service USGS National Map -- "Science for a Changing World" is their slogan, and no kidding: there is a bottomless pit of science-based information on the USGS site, the National Map being just a tiny tidbit of it. Ever wonder what your tax dollars are used for? Here's one spectacular example (spectacular at least if you love data and love the outdoors ... I see that hand.)
  • Appalachian Trail Conservancy ATC Website -- There's a lot of information here about things to consider if planning on spending time on the trail.
  • Thunderforest and OpenStreetMap -- Thunderforest makes it easy-ish to get static, free-to-use-with-attribution map tiles for websites and printing. I looked. A lot. Thunderforest was the only source who was there for me on my budget. For the record: Maps © www.thunderforest.com, Data © www.osm.org/copyright
  • gaiagps.com -- When it came down to proving my "accessibility" theories by actually getting to the trailheads, GAIA GPS never let me down. I ❤️ you, @gaiagps.