I noticed an interesting new map view on Google Maps when searching for directions the other day: Terrain. Up until now Google Maps has been a pretty bad choice for mapping mountain bike trails since the maps are built around roads and driving. With this new data layer mountain bikers have a much better choice for viewing terrain and getting a feel for the lay of the land. In terrain view roads are subtle as well, allowing you to focus on stuff like topography and park boundaries.
Of course Google Maps has offered satellite views from the beginning but those images are flat and reveal nothing about elevation. I haven’t been able to use the terrain function on all my maps though, perhaps some areas don’t have coverage yet? I’ve also yet to see terrain available on sites using the Google API (including our own GPS Trail Data Manager). Terrain view is definitely a welcome addition for outdoor enthusiasts, especially to those of us who avoid the pavement!
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