Building a Continent-Wide Map of Canoe Routes

[zander]

The Map
Several years ago, I created a Google Map with several Northeast canoe routes on it, and finding it recently I thought it might be useful to others.

Everyone should be able to find out how to paddle from their neighborhood to either ocean. Hopefully, this will help.

What you can do

1.) Add new routes: Currently, most of the routes are in Maine. It can fit 19,890 more routes. Please don't delete any. Maine to Labrador to Alaska, go for it.

Red for known routes
Purple for exploratory or wishful thinking
Blue for water trails, like the NFCT

put "Added by" or "Edited by _______" and the date in route Comments.

2.) Edit existing ones: Every line is rough, and can be shifted to better fit the terrain, portages added, etc, other data. The map is full of errors.

3.) Share with Others: Just forward this email to them.

4.) Use it: for program or personal trip planning, or to distract yourself during the winter.


https://drive.google.com/open?id=1cEbTtE1QTmqYrUnioqXaY71anco&usp=sharing

 

[Sweetfancymoses]

Zander,

Sounds like quite an undertaking.

I added the Hunter Island Loop in Quetico. Unfortunately, it's a bunch of waypoints and I don't know how to change them to a route.

 

[Sweetfancymoses]

Welcome, by the way. Is it a coincidence that you use the German name for walleye/pickerel as your username.

 

[dogbrain]

[Everyone should be able to find out how to paddle from their neighborhood to either ocean.

That's easy for me, walk 2 blocks to the Yellowstone River, turn right at the Missouri, turn right at the Mississippi and on to the ocean. Interesting project!

 

[Grandpa Paddler]

That's easy for me, walk 2 blocks to the Yellowstone River, turn right at the Missouri, turn right at the Mississippi and on to the ocean. Interesting project!

And that too sounds like an interesting project. I'd sure like to read that trip report.

 

[zander]

It is fairly straightforward- use the Draw a Line tool below the search bar, and select "add a line or shape" and then trace the route. It needn't be perfect - I see the map being more of a tool to start planning with. As time goes on, more people will add and edit to increase accuracy.

I just added the Yellowstone - great river, and a highlight from a longer trip I did a few years ago. But the Missouri and Mississippi still need to be added, along with a lot of others in the Rockies and high plains.

 

[hollisrover]

I've thought of this from my house and I've figured it out. I am going to attempt parts of it in the spring. I am almost certain I can go from the bottom of my street (1/4 mile), to the ocean, which by car is 60+ miles away. It will require bushwacking/poling for a bit, but it looks like it can be done. It's not really a route though!

 

[dogbrain]

It is fairly straightforward- use the Draw a Line tool below the search bar, and select "add a line or shape" and then trace the route. It needn't be perfect - I see the map being more of a tool to start planning with. As time goes on, more people will add and edit to increase accuracy.

I just added the Yellowstone - great river, and a highlight from a longer trip I did a few years ago. But the Missouri and Mississippi still need to be added, along with a lot of others in the Rockies and high plains.

Zander, just curious, what was the longer trip?

 

[zander]

@Dogbrain: It was a canoe trip from Portland, OR to Portland, ME in 2009.

 

[stripperguy]

Huh!! I guess I could paddle to the Atlantic with just a few carries. From my backyard, carry 50 yards to the Lisha Kill, paddle/carry to the Mohawk River, paddle to the Hudson and...well...you know the rest! Nothin' to it.

I just added the Essex Chain of Lakes route with a trip down the Chain Drain