Computer mapping programs have taken advantage of faster processors, greater storage capacities, and better printers to become real tools for travel. Left at home, that is.

The power of mapping programs is the shear data they contain and the tools used to access it. For virtual exploring from the comfort of your desk, you can't beat a CD mapping program for visiting the waterways of your neighborhood.

Most programs allow the user to panusing the mouse, and to zoom in at various resolutions for close inspection of map features. The vast majority of these programs are actually designed for use by motorists traveling on long trips, so that street features are much more accurate and inclusive than rivers and creeks. In fact, several allow one to enter the starting and ending street addresses, and the programs will compute the shortest, fastest, and most scenic routes between the two, as well as driving time down to the minute.

While mapping programs are no substitute for topographical maps, they are much better than conventional street maps for following rivers. While there are no relief lines to indicate topography, names of nearby roads often hint at what the river is doing. Absence of roads may indicate agricultural areas, rough terrain, or floodplains.

CD ROM mapping programs sell for around $50. A few of the better programs are listed below:

Street Atlas USA 5.0
DeLorme
Two DeLorme Drive
P.O. Box 298
Yarmouth, ME 04096
(207)846-7000
www.delorme.com

StreetFinder Deluxe
1998 Edition
Rand McNally
150 South Wacker Dr.
Chicago, IL 60606
(800)234-0679
www.randmcnally.com

Residents of select areas in Washington, California, Colorado, Minnesota, and New England have another, better choice for virtual river exploration. Wildflower Productions, a software company based in San Francisco, has been ditigizing topo maps of these areas. While the company bills its CD-based Topo! programs as "the most detailed maps for hikers, mountain bikers, and map professionals," the net effect for the paddler is having 200 USGS 7.5-minute topo maps at the beck and call of your mouse.

The folks at Wildflower have taken the best of topographic maps and added the analytical power of computers so that their product is not just a map on a screen. For instance, the user can trace a route anywhere on the map (along a river, let's say) and the program will not only compute the distance but also the elevational change.

Topo! CD's sell for around $60 each.

Wildflower Productions375 Alabama Street, Suite 230San Francisco, CA 94110(415)558-8700
www.topo.com

See Also :
Mapping Your Way to a Better Trip
The River Next Door