Since I last wrote about digital maps, the S1 Mobile app has been shut down and the Forest Service released a new map app that looks pretty good. It might be time for a new post on maps.
USFS app in offline mode showing a section of the Pacific Crest Trail north of Marble Mountain Wilderness including intersecting roads, streams, and contours.
As before, this will focus on legal, free ways to have maps stored on your handheld computer (AKA "phone") so you can have them anywhere and any time. While these are free, it does help insure that independent developers keep going next year if you send some money toward them. My criteria for a map app:
Works offline. If you only have a map when online, you don't have a map. It is as simple as that. This is non-negotiable.
Maps should include contours. I'm looking to hike with these maps after all.
Shows location.
User configurable storage options, at least to the extent of primary memory or external memory. I am space limited on my built in primary memory and I have a very large map collection. It needs to be on the additional card and stay there. This is more flexible.
If an app is reading maps from a file, that location should be somewhere with user access. It's just really hard to get at folders the system hides even when hidden folders are showing. You wouldn't think this needs to be stated, but apparently it does. There are work arounds, so again flexible.
Some maps are all-in-one programs, so you are forced to use that one program with all its quirks and limitations, but it tends to be easier. Some maps are stand alone files that need some sort of viewer, so you can open them in your favorite mapping program (if the file type is supported) or use the same file for many different programs.
Some maps access information from OpenStreetMap, which is crowd sourced, while some come from "authoritative sources", which is to say official as opposed to particularly knowledgeable. I like to have one of each since the differences are sometimes enlightening. It also just increases the chance of having information at all. Both vary in quality by area.
Anyway, here's an outline of what follows:
This is an authoritative map from the Forest Service for both Android and iPhone. The app was new in March, so it'll probably see some changes as they get feedback. The first round of updates already came at the end of May, but since I didn't see the first one, I can't say how much has changed. This is not a full mapping app and likely is not intended to ever be such. You can use it to know where you are as you hike, but it won't record a track or do routing or import tracks.
Getting maps is pretty easy. You can download as much or as little as you want. Once the app is installed, you can search from the "adventure" tab that comes up or tap the "map" tab button at the bottom and move over to what you are interested in. Tap it and a card pops up to say what you have tapped on. (This only gets the top layer, so if you want to get information on the whole forest, you've got to tap away from all the other stuff.) Tap on the card and you'll get more detailed information and a "download" button. Tap that "download" and you've got that item, be it just a trail or the whole forest, for your offline use.
First: The map with Klamath National Forest selected by a tap.
Second: Detailed information on Klamath National Forest, including download button. This one is already downloaded.
Once a map is downloaded, it can get updates easily. By default, the app will update maps automatically. This can be set to manual, and then updates are shown on the "Downloaded Maps" page. (Get here by tapping "menu" at the bottom right, then "Map Downloads" from the list.) When updates are listed, it doesn't indicate which download is getting updated or how much data will get downloaded.
The top of my list of downloaded maps showing that two updates are available.
Only a few things on the map are selectable. It seems to be an underlying map with selectable items drawn on top. Forests, trails, campgrounds and other items shown with a brown balloon pin are selectable. Roads, wildernesses, ranger stations, and quite a few other things one might expect information on are not. What is there varies by Forest and even by Ranger District.
Scroll through the detailed information of a site and there is a "get directions" button. Since this is not a complete mapping solution, this button sends the coordinates to another app that will do the routing. You'll need to have that set up or select one from the list that pops up.
The good: Easy to use. Downloadable detailed maps with contours. Location shows if permission given. Alerts and restrictions and such shown when online. Indicates when updates are available or just updates itself. No account needed and no insidious background tracking of all your details.
The bad: Maps are stored in primary memory only. After downloading my local forests (Six Rivers, Shasta-Trinity, Klamath), there isn't enough room to update some apps. The contours are a bit hard to see and come in a bit late when zooming in. I have not tried hiking on it, but it seems to fall out of memory (basically close) easily and the restart is annoying. While it has some mapping around the forests, it really is National Forest centered.
Organic Maps
Organic Maps is one of many of full mapping apps that make OpenStreetMap available in offline form. This is an app for both Android and iPhone derived from Maps.me. It's a little less popular than sibling OsmAnd, also available for Android and iPhone, but it's the one I've been playing around with. No account is needed and all tracking is you of yourself and those tracks you make are easily exported. It does routing by foot or car or public transport. A route can be turned into a track and exported too. (Importing is also easy using "open with" from a file manager.)
A couple map images, first at low zoom showing a large area overview, then at high zoom showing smaller roads and trails just east of Hoopa.
Once installed, hit the menu button on the right at the bottom and select "download maps" which gives the (initially empty) list of maps. Hit the plus at the bottom to add maps. They are sorted by country. The United States is further broken up by state and most states are broken into pieces named for a large city with more listed in the description. Just hit the download button and you've got them. When there are updates, these show with a different button. They are also shown by a small red circle on the menu button on the map so you don't have to check for them.
A list of maps that make up California where "Redding" is downloaded and up to date, "Sacramento" is downloaded and could be updated, "Los Angeles" is available but not downloaded. Download sizes are shown to the right.
Once a map is downloaded, you aren't stuck looking at it in just one way. Tap the layers button in the upper left for a small selection of changes. Contours aren't required. Turning on "hiking" or "biking" will highlight routes that have been marked. (This is a little different from highlighting trails.)
Once downloaded, the maps can be styled in a few different ways using the layers buttons. The second image shows the California Coastal Trail hiking route through Arcata and a few smaller routes, which are visible when "hiking" is selected.
Everything can be clicked to find out more about it. For this app, it doesn't say all that could be said. It doesn't mention if bicycles are not allowed. It doesn't mention what sort of surface a road has. For routing, you can avoid unpaved roads and it warns when paving ends, so it does keep some road surface information. You can't avoid too rough (high clearance) roads in the routing. It strives to be simple, but sometimes is a bit too simple.
Of routing, though, it can be quite good. Click somewhere to start and another spot to end and select what type and it'll find a way. Add stops to adjust the route. Once found, there's an elevation profile, calculated climb and descent all right there. Well, for hiking anyway.
Routing showing getting to Fowler Cabin from the trailhead on Wooley Creek.
In a space limited environment, all of this can go on an extension card. Tap the menu, tap settings, there's many things to adjust. Units can be "kilometers" (metric) or "miles" (imperial). Contours remain in meters because adding another set of contours would greatly increase file size. You can autodownload maps, so you just move around the map and it grabs the data. Increase label size is there. And there's "save maps to" with options: internal shared memory, internal private storage, or SD card. For a data [un]limited user, you can set it to never, ask, or always use mobile internet.
The good: Hits all the requirements and makes it easy. No privacy breaches. Labels can be made big enough for tired/old eyes. The bad: Does all the stated desires, but I've used it enough to have ideas to make it better.
Map File Sources
BLM's Excitement in Exploring Recreation System Mobile Map
The Free National Mobile Map Package Program (by it's other name) is a Bureau of Land Management project and is an authoritative map of BLM lands in ESRI's proprietary MMPK format. Currently, these are divided up by state and cover the western states only. In New Mexico, where it started, they worked closely with NM Department of Wildlife and included state lands as well as national lands. Plans include getting similar partnerships going with other states and adding in imagery. California is already nearly 2GB, so what you get is a little unwieldy.
Two versions of the same area rendered with Field Maps, the first with enough layers turned off to actually be able to find things, the second with everything on.
More simplified versions of California on the outward zoom. (Rendered with Field Maps.)
These can be downloaded directly from the suggested viewer, Field Maps (AKA ArcGIS Field Maps, produced by ESRI) or from here (this link is also found at the lower right of the page linked above). If primary memory is limited or just finding Field Maps to be unreliable at downloading large files (it is) or wanting to use it with a different program, this link is useful.
USFS Tiled Basemaps
These Forest Service Basemap products are compiled into ESRI's proprietary VTPK format. These maps were produced for Oregon BLM's "S1 Mobile" app, but are separately available and usable. In the link, each National Forest and National Grassland has an entry for an online map ("tile layer") and a downloadable package ("vector tile package"). Click the later to download a forest map.
The map of Willamette National Forest zoomed out to just the briefest detail for locating big things. (Rendered with QGIS.)
The same map zoomed in to give Visitor Map level detail. (Rendered with QGIS.)
The same map zoomed in far enough for contour lines, which gives hiking level detail. (Rendered with QGIS.)
BLM Tiled Basemaps
The Oregon and Washington BLM basemaps are authoritative maps made for the S1 Mobile app and are still available, also in ESRI's proprietary VTPK format. These are split up by Field Office for much easier file sizes to handle, but it's not likely they'll expand beyond these two states. However, these have actually been updated since the app removal, so may continue.
A part of the Gerber Reservoir on the Klamath Falls basemap. (Rendered with QGIS.)
OpenAndroMaps
These make OpenStreetMap with added contour lines available in Mapsforge format. They cover the entire world, the little part that is the United States can be found here. To get the contours, you usually need a rendering theme, also available there.
Where the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and Bigfoot Trail (BFT) briefly meet just south of the Russian Wilderness. (Rendered with Cruiser using the Elements theme.)
The same map and area rendered with the Voluntary theme. The theme and layer selection (portions can be turned off or on) can make a huge difference in how the map looks. (Rendered with Cruiser.)
GeoPDF and GeoTIFF
While all the maps so far have been good for multiple scales, these are good for one scale. Many have low and high detail versions available. Since it is really a printing format, GeoPDFs generally have map information (legend, name and date) around the edges. GeoTIFFs are usually just the map, so they can be tiled more easily. There's lots of authoritative maps available in these formats.
USGS makes GeoPDF downloads of all the current quads plus all the historic scanned quads available for free from their store. Use the map locator to find them. Click on where you want and a list of maps that cover that spot will pop up. Click view from there and there is a link to download the PDF. Not all maps found like this are downloadable, but there are topo maps for the entire country. With layers, a GeoPDF can do a little more than a printed map. The maps since 2012 offered here tend to have the National Map piece in vector form plus imagery. It does make them quite large. (They can be ~50MB each rather than the 2-3MB of USFS quads.)
A piece from the 15' 1888 Anthracite quad in Colorado. Why not? It's got Oh-be-joyful Peak on it! (Rendered by a generic PDF viewer.)
USFS has the FSTopo map (they're georeferenced again!) set of 7.5' quads (24K) as well as larger maps in GeoPDF. The GeoTIFFs seem to have gone missing, but maybe that's a little blip too. While loading up some Wyoming maps experimenting with apps, I did find one that wasn't referenced so there might be some quality control issues in the making.
BLM has a selection of GeoPDF maps, listed here. These range from the exquisite Kings Range poster map to funky overview maps meant for a flier. Unfortunately, they often make their GeoPDFs only available through Avenza, which locks them to that mobile only platform. Even though you should be able to use the map with anything that can read it, you are forced to use specific mediocre software on a small screen. Avenza gets five star ratings from people who think a blue location dot on your digital map is amazing rather than basic functionality.
Map Viewers
Field Maps for MMPK and VTPK
Variously called "ArcGIS Field Maps" or "ESRI Field Maps", Field Maps is a free app for Android or iPhone made by ESRI to read their MMPK and VTPK file formats. You do not need an account to use it for downloaded files. If downloading directly, by searching "BLM MMPK" for instance, it will place the files where needed in primary memory. If not, they need to be "side loaded". Side loading also allows placing the large files on an extension card instead of internal memory. On Android, this means putting the files in "[card or internal memory]/Android/data/com.esri.fieldmaps/files/" and then "mappackages" for MMPK or "basemaps" for VTPK (or TPK) files. This is a locked down directory which is only accessible via a computer or possibly by putting the card in a reader or using a file manager not downloaded from Play. (Maybe Ghost Commander from F-Droid works?) Apple also has hoops to jump through to get the files correctly placed.
Field Maps can take a bit long to open and has various quirks. If it opens to a black screen with a "working" animation and a back arrow in the upper left, press the arrow to get to the map list.
For MMPKs, once the files are in place, open Field Maps. It will clutter up the list of maps with things it finds on the internet without asking, so it is easier to use in airplane mode. MMPK files will be listed to open directly. They have layers that are all on by default. I find it better to turn off the "Public Land Survey System", "BLM National Grazing Allotments", and "BLM National Contours - 20FT" until needed. These have to be turned off again every time the map is opened.
For VTPKs, some other map needs to be opened first. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to take this step offline and I don't even know why it is necessary in the first place. The other map has to be compatible with the VTPK (use the same projection) and cover the same extent. (It can be larger, but it can't be somewhere else entirely.) I have found the "Forest Service Basemap" and "World Street Map" are both compatible with the USFS VTPK listed above. Once that map is found and opened (by searching on the full name), tapping the three dots in the upper right, then "Basemap" gets a listing of possible basemaps to open with these. If online, it will, without asking, populate this list with all sorts of things it found on the internet. Wade through all of these to add the VTPK you want. Warning: It will not adjust the map to where the VTPK covers and if you are too far away or too far zoomed out the VTPK only shows white. You must be close enough to the correct position in the world to see your map. That's easier if you are looking where you are right now and it has a location. It's harder when just looking around.
One is supposed to be able to store an extent of either "Forest Service Basemap" (well, 2 of the 3 that show up, anyway) or "World Street Map" offline, thus allowing Field Maps to be used completely offline for viewing VTPK files. In practice, this process errors every time if downloading the large extent needed to then be able to access the various "basemaps". I hope I'm missing something. The comments section is right there to tell me what obvious thing is needed.
But the MMPKs do work offline. Once open with things loaded, the program is pretty quick with both MMPK and VTPK files. Poking at an item for more information about it only gives limited information from MMPK files and nothing in VTPK files. There's no settings, so fonts are the size they are, etc. You have position, and there should be tracking somehow. You can draw on the map, if so desired.
BLM's MMPK of North Dakota after tapping on the blue area. I guess this means the state is the management agency and the about 1775 square miles of it?
The good: opens MMPK and draws the map, even when sizes are comparable to the total RAM of the device and offline. There should be a way to make VTPK opening an entirely offline process.
The bad: files are either in primary memory or need to be written into restricted directories. Still don't know the way to get the VTPK process offline. Font sizes are not configurable.
ArcGIS Earth for MMPK and VTPK
This claims to be a viewer for both MMPK and VTPK files. From within the program, when I hit add data and surf to the file, it does nothing except ignore it. However, VTPK can be opened using the "open with" option from a file manager and MMPK can be partly opened. The file will first be copied into primary memory and can be reopened later from within the program. Moving around, at least on my low powered phone, is variably "heavy" feeling as it doesn't go at all or wild as it suddenly accelerates in some direction.
With the VTPK files, for all but the smallest forest maps, what actually comes up is blank. Zooming into the center brings the map close enough to render at all. Drawing is slow, but still pretty usable. The size of fonts and icons is highly variable and can depend on what the last zoom was as well as the current zoom. All the elements appear to be there.
Opening Lassen NF from the file manager. The first shows it slightly zoomed from as it comes up. The second is detail.
With the MMPK files, it states that it is opening an excerpt of the file. Less limited systems than my own may have better luck. Contour lines seem to be completely removed from mine.
When opening, there is a list of layers that can be turned off and on. The first shows these layers where I've turned grazing allotments and PLSS off. The second shows what comes up for the Oregon map when it finally finishes drawing.
What comes up isn't really usable. It is extraordinarily slow to draw and pieces keep popping up a minute later. Much of what pops up seems to be placeholders and when zooming way in, it seems to never finish.
First shows as much detail as it seems to want to draw with many icons actually just boxes. Second is zoomed into an interpretive trail symbol, but after many minutes no trail has appeared.
The good: it will open a VTPK, even if offline.
The bad: it only partly opens MMPK and is slow to render what it does open. Font sizes are pretty random and not configurable.
QField for VTPK and PDF
QField is the free and open source software answer to Field Maps and is available for Android and iPhone. This opens VTPK files when offline and it does it without any nonsense step of first opening some other map you aren't even looking at. Unfortunately, it does need them to be contained in a project to open them and they do need to be placed in an inaccessible folder.
To make the project, open the VTPK on a computer in a new project in QGIS, the related free software that can run on Windows, Linux, or MacOS. Save the project to the same directory as the VTPK. (The location of the VTPK you want to open is saved relative to the location of the project.) Put both project and VTPK into "[extension card]/Android/data/ch.opengis.qfield/files" or one of the similar directories in the internal storage or the equivalent directories if on iPhone.
To open the project, open the app, tap "local projects and datasets". If on the external card, the project will be in "Additional files directory". If in internal memory, it will be in one of the other directories as placed. Select a project and it will open in an appropriate place to see the map. It will open where left on further openings.
A piece of Black Hills National Forest rendered in QField.
It seems a little bit slower to draw, but there are actual settings that make it work a little better for each user. Tapping an object gives a plethora of data, although usually only a little of it is meaningful.
Some of the information after tapping on Black Elk Peak, which is a little west of the area seen above.
It has a few extras available too.
How about a 3D view? The trail over Black Elk Peak and past Elkhorn Mountain in Black Elk Wilderness looks nice.
As an aside, there are other countries that make free downloadable government map files available for public use including Austria and Norway.
To open geoPDF, it is possible to use "open with" from a file manager and select QField. (I have not been able to from the program and have not been able to add a usable second map once the first is opened.) It will copy the PDF into primary memory. It is a little slow, but draws well.
A geoPDF opened in QField from the file manager. First is as opened. Second is zoomed into the details.
The good: does a good job opening VTPK files. Can do geoPDF in a pinch.
The bad: needs a container for those files to open them and then they need to go into user inaccessible folders. Position and tracking options are less than obvious.
C:geo for Mapsforge
C:geo is an open source app for Android only. I have been using the c:geo app for years, although not quite as long as I have been geocaching. When I got a smart phone, I did some research and got this app. Admittedly, it's primary focus is as a geocaching app, but it's also got mapping built in and it does it fast. (The tradeoff is it's not quite as pretty rendering.) For offline maps, it supports Mapsforge format maps and now will even help you download them from three specific sources: the Mapsforge repository, OpenAndroMaps, and Freizeitkarte.
Just west of Lake Tahoe where the Pacific Crest Trail, the American Discovery Trail, and the Tahoe Rim Trail all pass. The first is the California OpenAndroMap in the default theme and the second is using Elements, which picks up those big trails (which are emphasized) and adds contours.
This app will use maps from any folder, just configure it in the settings. (From the "home" page, tap the 3 vertical dots, tap "settings", tap "Map Sources", tap "Folder with offline maps". Themes can be in any folder, too. It is just a little further down "Map Themes Folder". Settings even have clear descriptions. What is "Synchronize themes"? Well, it'll move the themes into an "app-private folder" which will "improve map viewer opening performance at the cost of some device storage space." If fonts seem small, there's a setting for that. If everything seems small, there's a setting for that. If it seems large, there's a little room for that in the settings too.
And if you decide to geocache, it's right there for you. These are all non-premium geocaches west of Lake Tahoe on Geocaching.com, but the app connects to many other systems.
It's not quite as obvious as the geocaching options, but this can import tracks, record tracks, and export tracks, too. It has routing, mostly geared at finding efficient ways to travel between geocaches.
The good: files can be wherever and default saving can happen outside of primary memory. Fast and configurable.
The bad: actually focused on helping you find and sign global Easter eggs. But that can be good too.
Locus Maps for Mapsforge and more
This is for both Android and iPhone. When I was searching for mapping apps years ago, this was a paid app, so I came away with OruxMaps instead. The free version of OruxMaps is now getting increasingly old and hard to obtain and the very popular Locus Maps now has a free (but ads and in-app purchases) version. In addition to Mapsforge, it can use MBTiles, SQLiteDB, and a long list of others including some other map apps' native formats. You have to be able to add the tile server yourself, but it can cache portions of an online map into an offline map, too.
A bit of the California OpenAndroMap with the Elements theme rendered in Locus Maps.
For the space limited user, the main directory where files are stored can be set from "settings", "Backup & filesystem", "File system manager", "Set the main directory". There are a limited number of choices, with "/Android/data/menion.android.locus/" or "/Android/media/menion.android.locus/" on either primary or extension card being the only options. Choose one of the "/Android/media/" locations to be able to write directly to the directory, but you may not be able to share the file with other programs. You can also put maps in this directory even if it is not the main directory. The subdirectories can be adjusted from the "Set custom sub-directories" in the same spot. Since Apple is similarly locked down, hopefully there's similar not quite so locked directories.
The good: reads many formats and those big files can be on a big SD card in a user writable location. There's built in maps, too, though I've not explored them much. Lots of configuration possible.
The bad: I had to search deeply to find settings to add buttons to the map to have any access to the map theme settings. It says adware. (But I haven't seen ads. It does have settings marked "silver" and "gold" which might constitute ads for itself.) Limited sharing of large map files between other apps.
Trail-Sense for Mapsforge, PDF, and some images
This is a tiny little Android program that I have for its random offline tools. While I wasn't paying attention to the map-from-photo efforts, it's grown capable. Trail-Sense now supports Mapsforge and geoPDF, admittedly in a limited way. It won't index a couple hundred geoPDF files in a few minutes and then tell you which you need to load to view where you are looking now and change over to the next when you move the way OruxMaps does, but it will let you view the thing. It will import them faster than Avenza and keep going after 3. It will sort a group by "closest" to help find what might be most advantageous if only opening one. It will add them on top of the very rudimentary world map provided to see all at once. The real point is to be able to take a picture of a map on a sign, reference it, then be able to hike on it. It's just easy to be able to import a few things too.
Maps imported and displayed on the main map. First is the Mapsforge of Utah and there seems to be something missing. Second is a block of 4 GeoPDF, which give something a little extra.
The PDFs are turned into images to use. The resolution can be adjusted. The Mapsforge seems to be imported whole and give more detail when zooming in. They can be viewed alone in preview from the imported maps list or everything set to be visible can be viewed on the main map. The main map also has some very crude contours and hillshading that causes odd things, but can be turned off.
Lots more detail in the Mapsforge format when zooming in. First shows details in the preview. Second is details on the main map. The embedded contours don't show since the needed style isn't used.
Resolution of the PDF is just barely enough to see what is going on. The first here is in the preview, and the resolution could be better. The second is in the main map where the overlapping can cause problems. Unfortunately, I don't see a way to crop a referenced "photo".
The good: maps in Mapsforge and GeoPDF are rendered in a pinch. In non-map tools, it'll also show you where (and when) the sun should crest the peaks in the morning using "augmented reality" and give distance to lightning and show where the planets are and interpret clouds and, if you've got the sensors, predict weather. Lots more, too.
The bad: it's a little crude while getting the job done. Storage is in primary memory and doesn't seem to be configurable.
Finishing
So there's a fair bit there. Hopefully you found something that works for you and your system.
Uncompahgre National Forest (map link) The Forest Service seems to be uncertain if it is Lake Hope or Hope Lake, but more certain that it is the Hope Lake Trail. It consistently marks the road up to the trailhead as a 4x4 road, so I parked in a turnout at the bottom and started up, getting increasingly grumpy about how it is a rather good road with a loose rock here or there. I chatted with some campers about how it was probably great all the way up, but they'd gotten to their rather brilliantly picturesque site and been sufficiently mesmerized by it not to continue on. Talking with them got me sufficiently emboldened to actually stick out my thumb at the truck that came by as I finished the chat. When you're going 5 MPH anyway, it's easy to stop, and he did. Greg was going for the hike too and actually wouldn't mind having a buddy. The road promptly turned to something it wouldn't be wise to try the Scion on. With good judgement, I probably could make it, but...
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest ( map link ) I had a big day planned and got up in the early cold. That first dim, dawn light played in a band across the western peaks of Lamoille Canyon. The edge of it diffused downward into the rest of the canyon and then the band was repeated, this time with the first light of sunrise. It took a lot longer for the edge of this light to travel down into the bottom of the canyon and I was long on the trail by the time it did. Trailhead at the end of the road. Detailed signs about possible destinations are a short way down the trail on the left. Looking behind to a long canyon of shadow A pleading to stay on the trail in this fragile environment There are two trails to choose from for going up. The hiker trail travels the east side of the canyon, so would be cold longer, but would look across to the lit part of the canyon, which I hoped would make for better photographs. The stock trail climbs the other side and I could see it sitting...
Apache National Forest Click for map. What struck my fancy to hike while at Quemado Lake was Escondido Mountain, although I'm not sure how one can get away with calling a 1800 foot prominence peak "hidden" is beyond me. It has no trails up it, so I have to determine my own route. Escondido Trail caught my eye first, but it really doesn't go high up the mountain and it doesn't do it on one of the steeper slopes. The road it starts from looks like a better bet, follow it up as far as it goes then grab the ridge tot the right. The easiest way up, though, looks like a 4WD road that starts further south on the (should be) Scion friendly Baca Road #13D. This one climbs high up to a saddle west of the peak leaving less than a mile of ridge walking to the top. Although it means a couple miles road walking on something I can drive, I think I'll combine the two into a loop. I just have to find parking near the intersection of 13D and 4018J, which is pretty eas...
Little River State Beach, Trinidad State Beach, Sue-meg State Park, Humboldt Lagoons State Park Redwood National Park, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park Introduction The California Coastal Trail (CCT) is approximately 1200 miles of interconnected public trail following the coast from Mexico to Oregon. Or at least that's the dream. Currently, the trail is about 60% complete. In more populous areas, it often takes the form of boardwalks and multi-use paths marked by the swirl of blue wave crest. In rural areas, it may be pushed to the beach when that is usable, or to the nearest public route when that is not. The crest for the CCT marks a coastal access trail at the Lost Coast Headlands. There are thoughts of a route beside the ocean, but the primary route is substantially inland along Mattole Road for now. The beach becomes impassible in several places south of here and above the high tide mark is private property. The hiking trail rout...
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