I like to analyze the heck out of things when I’m planning to hit a new park. In this post, I’m going to share some of the resources I use. Some, I’ve learned about from following the POTA Facebook group, and others from friends who are not on Facebook, but are active in POTA all the same. Some, I’ve learned on my own.
This post will probably never be completely finished. I’ll add info as I find it.
- Google Maps – I have to start with Google Maps. Though not 100% accurate when it comes to park borders, I’ve found it to be much better than the Apple Maps. Also, once I find a operating location, I can send it to my phone pretty easily.
- ODNR GIS – This GIS map from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources is a pretty cool resource. Built on the ESRI platform, I’m impressed with the accuracy of the data. You can find it at https://gis.ohiodnr.gov/MapViewer/?config=ODNRLands
- North Country National Scenic Trail maps – In Ohio, a large part of the Buckeye Trail is shared with the North Country National Trail (NCNST). I’ve found the interactive maps at northcountrytrail.org to be very detailed. It’s a great resource when you are trying to figure out if the park you are going to contains a Two-fer with the NCNST. You can find the maps at https://northcountrytrail.org/the-trail/trail-map-and-downloads/
- HuntFish Ohio App – You can find this one on the Apple App Store. It seems to use the same database as the ODNR GIS, but it’s much more convenient to open the app. I don’t always remember to use it, but it’s a great resource all the same.
- Birding websites – Have you seen the movie “The Big Year“? Well, it’s a fictional story wrapped around a very real event. It turns out that Birders are almost as nuts about birdwatching as we are about POTA!
Do a google search on “Birding in [YOUR STATE], and you are liable to find loots of cool scouting reports for POTA references. I have used this resource on occasion when researching a road trip. One such site I found was https://birdinghotspots.org. While it does not yet cover all states, it does cover Ohio. Alternatively, you can try doing a Google search on “Birding In Ohio“, and find lots more resources.
I hope these resources will help you in your POTA quest. Please let me know if you have anything to add. 73 DE WG8X