We worked with Natural Resource Stewardship & Science communications staff to create a map that features NPS units in the path of the October 14, 2023 Annular Eclipse, and also shows the path of April 2024’s total solar eclipse. Data for the eclipse paths, areas of obscuration, and event timestamps were provided by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. We use MapLibreJS styling over a Park Tiles Light basemap. The end result is direct and elegant.
The NPS supports numerous national trails that capture fascinating histories over long distances. To map them correctly requires strategies different from those we employ to depict conventional NPS units. We collaborated with Ice Age Floods NGT staff and the Pacific West Regional GIS office to produce a map that shows a variety of trail-specific features. Using vector-native GL styling creates a seamless integration of basemap and thematic overlays.
The National Trails and Rails Program needed a map to quickly show which Amtrak routes had volunteer-led interpretive programs. This was one of our earliest attempts at truly integrating GL-enabled data overlays and styling into a custom map. By using the robust capabilities of the Mapbox GL Style Specification, we could adopt cartographic conventions found in transit maps, like parallel offset lines that indicate routes that share a common right-of-way. This also provides for greater range of labeling properties.
The Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail is comprised of several distinct hikable sections, each 8 to 20 miles long, with many miles between them. These sections are impossible to detect using our conventional basemap symbolization, so we developed a custom data overlay and section locator tool to enable users to understand the extent of the trail at a glance and zoom into sections of interest.
Park staff at Zion National Park have measures and restrictions in place to keep key roadways open throughout seasons of peak visitation. To support this, they needed their web map to indicate which section of Highway 9 is a tunnel, and that Zion Canyon Drive is open to shuttle buses only. We used symbolization enabled by the Mapbox Style specification to add tunnel symbolization as well as custom labeling.
The NPS Volunteer program wanted to show the geographic distribution of the volunteers they have recognized and celebrated over the years. In addition, they wanted map users to be able to select specific years from the complete set. We created a custom checkbox interface arranged horizontally to mimic a timeline. Each year is selectable, and additionally the entire set can be toggled on/off.
The National Natural Landmarks program requested a map of all sites maintained in their authoritative dataset. They also had a specific use case to support: local planners need access to listings of landmarks grouped by county. By clicking on a state, map users can select from a list of counties in the popup. Importantly, they needed a non-NPS basemap, as National Natural Landmarks are not NPS sites, and the map needed to reinforce this separation.
This map connects veterans, service members, their families, caregivers, and survivors with NPS units nearest to to Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense facilities. For each facility, the three closest parks and the distance to each are provided in a popup.
Staff at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site wanted a map that would highlight various stations available during their heritage days event.
This prototype demonstrates the ability to gather coordinates as a user clicks on the map, and then display those coordinates on a dynamically-updated map.
