Recent Google Maps Updates Can Help RVers Explore and Plan Visits to U.S. National Parks

Most RVing enthusiasts are nature lovers and as such, are often huge fans of national parks. But sometimes, planning for a national park visit can be challenging. Where should you park? Where are the trail heads? Are there bathrooms nearby?

Luckily, Google has a solution to help make your trip planning a cinch! Google’s new trail feature is one of the four updates that Google Maps has created for iOS and Android to help visitors explore national parks more easily. This feature can help you:

• Plan your hiking trips – You can now search for a particular trail in Maps. Simply type “hiking trails” in the search bar of Google Maps and see the location of all the hiking trails in a park in the map window. You can select any trail name and see the type of trail, photo highlights, details, reviews, and the difficulty of the trail. You can also zoom in to see entire trail routes—from start to finish!— highlighted in green and explore user photos along the trail. In addition, it will highlight whether the trail is best for running, walking, or biking. Using this feature can help you plan your hike and discover new trails. 
• Check out popular attractions – National parks often have certain attractions or features that are crowd favorites (think Old Faithful or Delicate Arch). Now searching and learning about attractions, campgrounds, visitor centers, and more is easy. Once you’ve searched for a particular park, popular features will be highlighted. You can then click on any of the photos to get even more details, such as videos and reviews.
• Explore maps offline – Sometimes cellular coverage can be spotty or nonexistent in certain national parks, which can make using your phone to navigate difficult. Luckily, you can now download maps for offline access. A simple click of a “Download” button will do the trick. The button will be available later this month. 

This update is a great way for you to find and navigate national parks more conveniently and easier than ever before. 

Do you travel to national parks in your RV? What are your favorite parks and features? Let us know in the comments or contact us today!