Hiking with Google Street View

[4runnerguy]

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? 😉

[4runnerguy]

bukhrn wrote:
Thanks for posting that, as I'll probably never see that beauty in person.

That's one reason I'm posting these -- for those who may not be able to travel there or to make the walk on their own once they get there. Or to give others ideas on where to take their next journey.

Not all the places they've taken their "Trail Cam" are in remote places with difficult walking. Never been to San Antonio? Many people like to walk the River Walt downtown, eating at water side restaurants, taking a river barge, or shopping at the various shops.

Of course there's The Alamo which everyone has heard of. But move around with Google "Trail View" and check out the courtyards behind the main edifice.

And don't miss the other, less well know missions in San Antonio. Mission Concepcion south of downtown is fairly imposing in this view. Again, use your cursor to explore the grounds.

One more SA mission I want to share is Mission San Jose. From this view, you can see how the main church was added to over the years and also see how the surrounding walls often had other rooms and structures for living and farming use. The front doors are intricately carved, and as you "walk" around with Google, get right in front of them and look up for a great view.

I am amazed by these missions and how they were constructed nearly 300 years ago as outposts of the Spanish empire.

[bukhrn]

4runnerguy wrote:

Naio wrote:
How are you people finding these awesome shots on google?!

I'm just thinking about the amazing hikes I've taken and then go to see if Google has sent somebody to hike it.

It isn't just in the US they're doing this. Check out this view from the shores of Lake Louise in Banff NP, Alberta, Canada. When you get done admiring the view up the valley, turn around for a view of Chateau Lake Louise.

But in this area, I've always felt the Valley of Ten Peaks above Moraine Lake is even more impressive.

Thanks for posting that, as I'll probably never see that beauty in person.

[2gypsies1]

4runnerguy wrote:
OK, here's something that's not "Google Trail View" but rather "Google River View". As a matter of full disclosure, this is the only location I've put here that I haven't been to.

Upset Rapids, Grand Canyon NP

We got an entirely different view of Upset Rapids after our paddle boat upset!!! Quite an experience. The oar boats went through first and parked onshore. The guide wanted to take a video of the paddle boat coming through. He got the whole 'upset' on video and gave a copy to all six of us.

[4runnerguy]

Naio wrote:
How are you people finding these awesome shots on google?!

I'm just thinking about the amazing hikes I've taken and then go to see if Google has sent somebody to hike it.

It isn't just in the US they're doing this. Check out this view from the shores of Lake Louise in Banff NP, Alberta, Canada. When you get done admiring the view up the valley, turn around for a view of Chateau Lake Louise.

But in this area, I've always felt the Valley of Ten Peaks above Moraine Lake is even more impressive.

[Naio]

How are you people finding these awesome shots on google?!

[4runnerguy]

OK, here's something that's not "Google Trail View" but rather "Google River View". As a matter of full disclosure, this is the only location I've put here that I haven't been to.

Upset Rapids, Grand Canyon NP

[bukhrn]

4runnerguy wrote:

bukhrn wrote:
Well I guess you are light years ahead of me, as I didn't know that there were street views of things like ski slopes, trails and such. . .

And if you don't ski, you can still get an idea of the views from up top. From the top of Aspen Highlands you get this great view of Maroon Bells.. Definitely a different view than from Maroon Lake.

Great view, now if they only got rid of that nasty white stuff. :B

[Busskipper]

4runnerguy wrote:

2lazy4U wrote:
Sunlight eh? I bet you and I pass each other on Four Mile all the time and don't even know it. LOL

Maybe. On a good year, I get up there 50 days. Only made it 35 days this year. Not such a good snow year.

Not overall but My son was boarding at A basin on the Wednesday, the 20th, and said it was his best day EVER!!!Something about a back Bowl that is seldom open.

So don't give up I think they just got another dump.

Colorado is like Maryland, the best Crabs come at the end of the season - often the best skiing/boarding is in the late season.

Enjoy the bonus,

Busskipper

[4runnerguy]

OK, how about a shot from the trail at the end of Dead Horse Point SP in Utah.

[WhitehouseLV]

I mentioned to my buddies when Google Street View first came out that we should create or contract ourselves out and create Google Slope View, Google Lake View, Google Trail View (both hiking & OHV), etc.

I use Google Earth on a regular basis at work.

[4runnerguy]

2lazy4U wrote:
Sunlight eh? I bet you and I pass each other on Four Mile all the time and don't even know it. LOL

Maybe. On a good year, I get up there 50 days. Only made it 35 days this year. Not such a good snow year.

[2lazy4U]

Sunlight eh? I bet you and I pass each other on Four Mile all the time and don't even know it. LOL

[Veebyes]

Don't know how long it takes from actual walk to putting the hikers view online but somebody from Google Earth was in Bermuda walking around with the gear on a couple weeks ago.

[Campfire_Time]

Busskipper wrote:

Who needs to travel any more anyway? That was my first reaction till --- I missed the sounds, smells and just the Great FEEL of these places.

Exactly! Simply put, until we get "holodecks" like Star Trek, nothing else comes close to being there.