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EddieEarl

California Trail Maps

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Anybody use 'California Trail Maps' from their phone?  Is it any good?

I use View Ranger right now and it works great from the phone - tracks, records,, satellite, topo.  But, the California Trail Map app seems to have some pretty detailed trail maps throughout SoCal and even up into Kern County.  

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I use it on garmin 62s and basecamp its insanely detailed almost too much sometimes on the 62 while riding it shows alot of dead end trail or just like turnouts for campsites it was a little confusing in big bear but well worth it also

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right on - good call on big bear, too - my son and i plan to get up there in late summer

i may get it just for that reason alone - thanks for the feedback

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I am the map maker. The most tedious task is setting the zoom levels(7) on all of the elements to keep it from turning into spaghetti while giving you everything you want to see. My observation has been that smaller screens display the map at a higher density while larger screens spread it out. I recently did a survey and several Nuvi users commented that it doesn't display data soon enough while handheld users said the opposite.

A few solutions for this.

In your GPS map settings, there should be an option along the lines of "Map Detail" or "Detail". You can lower the detail level on small screens and increase it on large screens. This should get rid of those small segments.

I've spent the last two months reviewing and updating the existing coverage area. Over the years of working on the map, I established guidelines for zoom levels and other subjective details. They've improved overtime so I'm updating everything to be consistent. I've been focusing mostly on the mountains and will rework the desert before it cools down.

I added a feature to the Windows installer that asks if you'd like to Show or Hide Non-Motorized Trails. This will help in areas like Big Bear that are dense with trails. This is implemented by copying a style file into the map directory. It's automated on Windows but I'm not sure how to implement on a Mac, yet.

There is an update available if you want to download.

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Love your product, thank you. Been using it on the Montana, now starting to experiment with ios platforms.

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9 minutes ago, 00yz250 said:

I am the map maker. The most tedious task is setting the zoom levels(7) on all of the elements to keep it from turning into spaghetti while giving you everything you want to see. My observation has been that smaller screens display the map at a higher density while larger screens spread it out. I recently did a survey and several Nuvi users commented that it doesn't display data soon enough while handheld users said the opposite.

When the map maker chimes in that is good enough for me!  I am buying this app now!  Thx!

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Thanks for input ill modify the detail levels and non ohv trails

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On 6/7/2016 at 9:58 AM, 00yz250 said:

I am the map maker. The most tedious task is setting the zoom levels(7) on all of the elements to keep it from turning into spaghetti while giving you everything you want to see. My observation has been that smaller screens display the map at a higher density while larger screens spread it out. I recently did a survey and several Nuvi users commented that it doesn't display data soon enough while handheld users said the opposite.

A few solutions for this.

In your GPS map settings, there should be an option along the lines of "Map Detail" or "Detail". You can lower the detail level on small screens and increase it on large screens. This should get rid of those small segments.

I've spent the last two months reviewing and updating the existing coverage area. Over the years of working on the map, I established guidelines for zoom levels and other subjective details. They've improved overtime so I'm updating everything to be consistent. I've been focusing mostly on the mountains and will rework the desert before it cools down.

I added a feature to the Windows installer that asks if you'd like to Show or Hide Non-Motorized Trails. This will help in areas like Big Bear that are dense with trails. This is implemented by copying a style file into the map directory. It's automated on Windows but I'm not sure how to implement on a Mac, yet.

There is an update available if you want to download.


Pretty awesome to have you on here, responding to someone about the maps you create.  *Two thumbs up*

If I may barge in...
What more does your mapping give, over City Navigator 2017 (for example)?

I'm sure your aware of CN2017 or previous versions, so I thought to use that as an example. And, it's one of many I use.

I see you say;  The vast majority of the trail data is unavailable on any other digital map.

Knowing this...  do you have some screenshots to compare map to map? I'd love to see the detail you offer before I purchase.  

... sorry to hijack the thread for my own selfish reasons :wacko:

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The primary use case for City Navigator is paved roads. It's missing thousands upon thousands of miles of dirt roads and trails. There is really no comparison. They certainly don't include any single tracks. Off-roading or rural driving is considered an edge case so if they do display a dirt road or rural paved road, it isn't displayed until you zoom in really close. My map is designed to bring dirt roads and trails to the forefront. Depending on the dirt road and the area, I might set the zoom level to the same level as freeway on a Garmin map. Death Valley and Mojave National Preserve are two areas that need this because they're so large with a limited number of roads. Street maps display dirt roads at the same level or lower than residential roads.

Screenshots don't really do it justice because it's a multilevel vector map. It turns into information overload when you display all of the detail. The value in a multi-level map is yielded on a small screen. There are lots of high level screen shots in the Trail Finder.

Take a look at the reviews on Facebook. They're all positive and objective.

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Gotcha'...   I know CN has a primary use... and is capable of auto-routing. But the amount of unpaved roads is pretty amazing. Even in Baja... another treat for those not using a Baja specific map.

Hence the asking for comparable screenshots. But I also understand that issue (as you describe)... even though at a similar zoom level, you won't see the same/same. Makes sense. 

I'll have to just pickup the CTM and go from there.   Nice to see you responsive to questions!  Thanks a bunch!

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There is a version of the map that has a "transparent" background. It has dirt roads, trails and POIs but it doesn't include paved roads or a background. If you enable it at the same time as your street map, it will display on top of it. This will allow you to use the routing functionality that comes with your street map. The one odd behavior that you may see is dirt roads that aren't attached to paved roads until you zoom in. This is because I've got some dirt roads set to a higher level than the paved roads on the street map.

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the detail is insane. Ive used 00yz250 map in big bear, anza borrego, san diego and around barstow if theres a goat trail you see in person its on his map you do kinda have to zoom in to see it though.  but i have city 2015 and it shows all major fire roads poster but the trail map literally  shows everything

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I did a big 150 mile loop this weekend.  Poway, through Eagle Peak to Majors, and then back.  While at Saddlewood junction (I think that's it) I popped open the map using Locus maps and zoomed in quite a bit and the level of detail was awesome.  I am super excited about this data.  

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Now includes all of the Sequoia National Forest. (Kennedy Meadows, Monache Meadow, Kern Plateau, Hume Lake)

Lots of juicy single tracks.

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One of my buddies just rode with Lee this weekend.  Not only does he know the trails, he can ride that (plated) YZ250!

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Missed this thread when originally posted.......thanks for all the hard work Lee.......I'll give it a go!

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