New US Public Campground Web Site
 |
 16 years
|
I have been working on a web site that maps all public campgrounds in the US using coordinate data as input and gpsvizualizer.com (which calls google maps among others) to produce interactive maps of each state. It also produces printable maps, a printable table of information which is also easily made into a poi file for all the public campgrounds in each state.
To do this, I have merged coordinate data from many sources and eliminated duplicates. I verified (and corrected if necessary) the location of each campground, principally by electronically projecting each onto a USGS topo map, which identifies many campgrounds, but also using other Internet sources and DeLorme atlas’ as well.
My single largest source was a file I got directly from the US Forest Service, containing coordinates for 4,400 campgrounds. I also got files from some states, the largest being New York, Wisconsin and Michigan. I merged with these some campground POI files obtained from Poi Factory, principally those provided by newk, pooldoo and phranc. (If you would like to be recognized as a source and thanked on the web page, please contact me and I will be happy to do so.)
The web site is at www.USCampgrounds.info . Not all States are done yet.
This web site uses concepts and skills that I have developed over 12 years experience with my other site, www.swimmingholes.info . I am doing this because, having camped for over 40 years, I have never been happy with the existing directories coverage of public campgrounds. They either don’t cover them completely or have useless maps or both. I am doing this as a hobby and as a contribution to those who appreciate our wonderful public campground system in this country. I have invested untold hours in producing reliable and complete data and an interactive web site to display them.
I would really like to make this into a collaborative effort with a "campground host" for each state, who would make corrections as needed. This is not a major time committment once I have done the state intially, nor will any computer expertise be needed. Your name will be featured prominently on the first web page. Email me if you are interested.
Tom Hillegass
www.uscampgrounds.info
mail@uscampgrounds.info
Nice!
Nice sites. I've bookmarked both.
One note though:
On the swimming hole site you list Chico areas (in Northern California) and list Big Chico River. It's not a river. It's Big Chico Creek. Among the swimming holes listed you have a caution regarding Salmon Hole in Bidwell Park. You may want to include a similar warning for Bear Hole in Bidwell Park. There have been several drownings there due to idiots not thinking that fast moving water that goes under rocks is dangerous.
GPSMAP 76CSx - nüvi 760 - nüvi 200 - GPSMAP 78S
Great sites, thank you.
Great sites, thank you.
Chico Holes
Hi Thrak:
Thanks - I think I have heard of some safety problems at Bear Hole too - I will add this information to the swimming holes site next time I update CA.
Tom Hillegass
Tom Hillegass swimming holes at www.SwimmingHoles.info campgrounds at www.USCampgrounds.info
Moolah
You are welcome, Moolah, I hope you find some swimming holes and campgrounds that you really enjoy.
Tom HIllegass
Tom Hillegass swimming holes at www.SwimmingHoles.info campgrounds at www.USCampgrounds.info
Link
I sent the link to my wife and she LOVES it. Many thanks. We love to go camping and perhaps we will find a new spot using your page.
GPSMAP 76CSx - nüvi 760 - nüvi 200 - GPSMAP 78S
Wow
Nice job! Very impressive
Thank you!!
Nuvi 780, GPSV, IIMorrow Apollo Precedus
That's great...
...and something I'm sure to use repeatedly in the coming months and years. Thanks.
GC
Nuvi 350, GPS Map 76CX
Public Campground Data
Hi,
I'd be glad to work with you on NC.
I'd like to get a copy of the GPS locations for national forests in all states so that I can create a Delorme Street Atlas an1 file. I've worked on NC but it took forever. Any chance you would share the gps file with me?
Don
Campgrounds
Hi Don:
Thanks for your comments on POI Factory.
Would you really like to work on NC campgrounds - hopefully on an ongoing basis if we can work it out to both our satisfaction - you are the first collaborator who haas expressed an interest.
NC is in pretty good shape now, I would send you all the NC campgrounds as I now have them as a spreadsheet, and you would make corrections/updates as your time permitted. Not a big committment but, if you enjoyed doing it and camping in NC, it could be fun for you. I would stop making any changes to NC and send any input I get from users to you to incorporate it as you see fit. Once in a while you would send the updated spreadsheet to me and I would post it. Your name would be on the first page as a contributor for NC. Tell me what you think.
Also, do you really want the entire national forest campground file - it has some errors in it and has 4400 campgrounds - might be better to use my .csv files by state (I think you can manipulate them as spreadsheets pretty easily to the format for input to DeLorme). Also I have made corrections and added in all the other public camgrounds. Tell me what you think.
Tom Hillegass mail@uscampgrounds.info
Tom Hillegass swimming holes at www.SwimmingHoles.info campgrounds at www.USCampgrounds.info
NC Campgrounds
I'll give it a try. I know of at least 1 error - Dan Nicholas Park. I've got slightly different gps locations for many of the campgrounds; without getting an onsite reading, I don't know which is correct. I will be on the road in late April and May and wouldn't be able to work on it during this period. Otherwise I will be happy to help.
Don
CORRECTION
I was looking for a new place to camp this weekend and settled on Schoolhouse in Northern California. It's located in Area B on the California portion of the map.
When I click on the listing for the campground I get the pop-up info box. It's listed as being in the Tahoe National Forest and has a link to the Forest Service site for the campground. This works fine and is the correct information.
However, the direct link at the top of the info box that is titled "Schoolhouse" takes me to a Google entry for a DIFFERENT place. The link takes me to Schoolhouse Canyon campground located in a different part of California.
The Driving Directions box in the pop-up box worked fine and gave directions to the proper campground.
GPSMAP 76CSx - nüvi 760 - nüvi 200 - GPSMAP 78S
POI file
Have you considered posting a POI file for folks to use on their GPS units? The data in your campground website is what I've been looking for, it looks great! but I can't take with me or am I missing something?
Nice work on Washington
Nice work on Washington state! Unfortunately, the state is poised to close 13 of its parks due to budget cutbacks.
Are Just the NF campgrounds avail?
I am looking for just the National forest campground table. Can you point me in the right direction to find the info so I can put a poi together?