16 replies to this topic

[ErinGreb]

Here is a map that I am doing for Pennsylvania DCNR / Keystone Trails Association. The purpose of the map is to show folks how to get from their home to a trail head with parking, and to show how all of the trails relate to one another for longer distance hikes. Once they get to a trail, they would use the local, more detailed trail map.

The client asked for me to include towns at different proximity increments - smaller towns (less than 1000 people) are only shown within 15 miles of the trail, then towns with 1000-4999 population are included within 25 miles of the trail, etc. I am wondering if it looks strange only having the smaller towns close to the trails and not evenly distributed? Does it seem obvious that this is done on purpose, or does it appear as if I forgot to put town labels in the areas far from trails?

Any other comments would be much appreciated - thanks!

Erin Greb

http://www.personal....map_draft1a.jpg

[sitesatlas]

That is one beautiful map! I like how parks stand out and the labeling is nice, too. I see the highway data is very up-to date, even more so than the 2009 data the DOT makes available at PASDA (PA-43 around Uniontown, for example). The distribution of the towns does look a little strange, but if that's what the client wants...

My only nit-picking observations would be the patchy dark spots in the relief outside of PA and the fact that the major road line weights and colors seem too discreet, especially since people will use the map to plan a road trip.

[Nick H]

I like this map too, it definitely looks fit for its purpose. My only comments are trivial. Firstly, are the county boundaries strictly necessary? Secondly, many of the people driving to car parks at the starts of the trails will be doing this in cars fitted with GPS receivers. How about using a bit more of New Jersey to inset a panel showing the lat/lon coordinates of the car parks?

By the way, where except here could you find Bethlehem, Nazareth, Bath and Northampton within about ten miles of each other . I love that too.

Regards, N.

[razornole]

Hey Erin,

I'm not able to view the map. It might be on my end, but I received a message that read...

Forbidden
You don't have permission to access /eth108/KTA/HikingKTA_map_draft1a.jpg on this server.

Is anyone else getting this message?

kru

[Hans van der Maarel]

Forbidden
You don't have permission to access /eth108/KTA/HikingKTA_map_draft1a.jpg on this server.

Is anyone else getting this message?

Nope

[ErinGreb]

Thanks for the comments so far!

The client asked for the trails to be much more prominent than the roads themselves, but perhaps the roads could be a bit less muted.

As for the GPS coordinates, that is an interesting idea! There is a flip-side to this with info about each trail; perhaps there I could include the GPS coordinates under each trail's description.

[DaveB]

More minor nitpicks:
1. I'm not a fan of orangish colors on gray (or black) backgrounds on screen, but it probably looks fine on paper.
2. The legend has roads with the minor ones towards the bottom and the major ones towards the top. Then it has the biggest towns at the bottom and the smallest at the top. I tend to prefer having the most important/largest features/highest classes at the top.

(I only saw what looked like a strip from the top edge of the map)

[MapMedia]

beautiful job Erin! Really well done.

As for thetowns near trail, maybe instead of black dots, use purple dots to associate them with trail (define them as towns near trail in legend).
Label Lake Erie.
Graticules?
Label NJ Turnpike
not sure about green for county name color, with all the parks you have going on. would go for brown, purple, ocher, etc.

Well done and thanks for sharing!

[mikeb226]

Very nice looking map!

Only one problem - you don't have any trails in Northwestern PA!! There's about 5 counties skipped...

I work in Erie County, so, I'm a little familiar with the area.

Feel free to email me if you'd like some info....

[ErinGreb]

beautiful job Erin! Really well done.

As for thetowns near trail, maybe instead of black dots, use purple dots to associate them with trail (define them as towns near trail in legend).
Label Lake Erie.
Graticules?
Label NJ Turnpike
not sure about green for county name color, with all the parks you have going on. would go for brown, purple, ocher, etc.

Well done and thanks for sharing!

Thanks, can't believe I forgot to label Lake Erie!!

[ErinGreb]

Very nice looking map!

Only one problem - you don't have any trails in Northwestern PA!! There's about 5 counties skipped...

I work in Erie County, so, I'm a little familiar with the area.

Feel free to email me if you'd like some info....

I was given a list of the trails to include by the Keystone Trails Associaton (kta-hike.org). These are the "major hiking trails," according to KTA. I know there are tons of trails all over the state that aren't included (can't include them all). I'll be in touch about which trails you think might be good candidates, and let KTA know

[Matthew Hampton]

2. The legend has roads with the minor ones towards the bottom and the major ones towards the top. Then it has the biggest towns at the bottom and the smallest at the top. I tend to prefer having the most important/largest features/highest classes at the top.

Echoing Dave's salient comments regarding hierarchy – with respect to park areas. I think I would be inclined to have the color values reflect the local-state-federal hierarchy such that the federal parks would be the darkest green value, not the state parks.

Nice work!

[ceicher]

Hi Erin, wie gehts?

Very nice!

My one comment relates to the map title (in the legend). Maybe this isn't the final title, but I would change:

Pennsylvania Hiking Trail Map

to

Pennsylvania Hiking Trails

Everyone will know that it's a map... ; )

-Cory

[rudy]

The client asked for the trails to be much more prominent than the roads themselves, but perhaps the roads could be a bit less muted.

I like the fact that the roads are muted . . . the trails stand out better as a result. Excellent job!

[Michael Karpovage]

Damn. Good. Map.