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4runnerguy's avatar
4runnerguy
Explorer
May 21, 2015

Hiking with Google Street View

I guess I'm a little behind the times. I knew that Street view in Google Maps included runs down ski hills. (If you want another view of me, check out the snowboarder looking down and waving here) Yeah, that's me!

But I didn't know that they had started sending hikers off into our national parks to hike some of the trails and put the results in as Street View. Here are a few I've found that show the great beauty of our NP's.

Landscape Arch at Arches NP I think that may be Partition Arch off to the right.

Navajo Loop, Bryce Canyon NP The pine trees are pretty impressive down there.

Zion Narrows, Zion NP This is where the constructed trail ends and you head into the water to wade further upstream.

Spruce Tree House, Mesa Verde NP Quite a few people here, but you can get the idea of what you'll see.

View of the Tetons across Taggart Lake. Not a terribly long or difficult hike, but the views are stunning.

Skyline Trail, Mt. Rainier NP From the Paradise Valley visitors center, hike up to Panorama Point. I wonder where it gets its name from!

Kaibab Bridge across the Colorado River, Grand Canyon NP If you've never had the opportunity to hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, if you take the South Kaibab Trail down to Phantom Ranch, you first hike through a tunnel and then come out on this bridge. Really an amazing experience.

On all of these, you can move around just like any street view plus go back to the map and satellite to see where you are. Yes, you can even "hike" back through the tunnel at the Grand Canyon.

I want this "job". Getting paid to hike these beautiful places!

If anyone else finds some interesting Google Street View scenes from hiking trails around our national parks (or any trail), post them here (look for the gear icon in the lower right corner, select share or imbed, and copy the url as a link). Who needs to travel any more anyway? ;)

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