Use This Interactive Map to Plan Your Next Walking Route
One of the best parts of hiking (or even walking around) is paying attention to your surroundings and seeing something new each time. But with so much of the world to explore, you’ll probably also want to see new parts of it, including those in your area.
As much as we love our favorite trail in a local park or a Sunday stroll through a nearby cemetery , chances are there are hidden gems you haven’t come across yet. Or let’s say you want to take a day trip somewhere a few hours away and know the general area where you want to walk but don’t know the trails. This is where interactive online tools come in on a site called Wandermap . Here’s what you need to know.
What is Vandermap?
We first heard about Wandermap from the nerds at Recomendo , notably Mark Frauenfelder , who listed the site as one of his favorites in a recent newsletter .
In short, this is a map with “official” and user-created trails around the world, where you can search for many new hikes for you or plan your own route. And in fact, the route planning tool is Frauenfelder’s favorite feature on the site because it allows users to see not only the distance but also the elevation changes along the way.
How to use Wondermap
You can register on the site for free, as well as save and store your personal collection of routes and training log. (You can also use the site without signing up if you want.) If you’re looking to hike in a specific location, make sure you can see the continent on a map first.
Europe is the default continent on the map when you visit the website. To find hikes in North America, use the cursor to move the map so that North America is visible. Then enter your desired hike location in the search bar, or keep zooming in until there are individual hikes in your chosen area.
Another of Frauenfelder’s favorite features is that the desktop website generates a QR code for your walking route, making it easy to transfer to your phone and hit the road. You also have the option to export GPS data for the hike.