3 NE Ga. sites included in new National Geographic offering

GAINESVILLE - Three northeast Georgia recreation areas - one of them Lake Lanier - are featured on new National Geographic's Weekend Explorer 3D series.

The series offers topographic maps and tools for use in planning hiking, biking and camping trips, according to Dan Ortiz, Vice President of Consumer Products for National Geographic Maps.

"More people are engaging in outdoor pursuits close to home, and Weekend Explorer 3D enables them to create their own maps for day trips and weekend adventures," Ortiz said in an interview with AccessNorthGa.com. "The 3-D Fly-thru and view feature allows users to visualize the trail before they go, with resizable split screens that show 2-D and 3-D images simultaneously. Users can also generate elevation profiles to see the length of the trail as well as elevation gain or loss along the way."

Users can also add trails and other information to their maps, fly along their route in 3-D, use the maps with the GPS, and navigate their way with updated streets and roads.

In addition to Lake Lanier, the Chattahoochee National Forest and the Chattooga River are featured in the Atlanta area edition.

There are 21 regions of the country included in the series.

- Albuquerque-Santa Fe areas, Taos, Santa Fe, Carson national forests
- Atlanta area, Chattahoochee National Forest, Lake Lanier, Chattooga Wild and Scenic River
- Boise area, Sawtooth, Boise and Payette national forests
- Boston area, Cape Cod, Rhode Island
- Denver area and Front Range
- Las Vegas area, Spring Mountains, Lake Mead, Mojave National Preserve, Zion National Park
- Los Angeles area, Los Padres, Angeles and San Bernardino national forests
- Minneapolis-St. Paul areas, Boundary Waters, Apostle Islands
- Nashville area, Big South Fork, Land Between the Lakes, South Cumberland area
- New York City area, Catskills, Hudson Valley and Poconos
- Phoenix area and Tonto, Prescott, Kaibab and Coconino national forests
- Pittsburgh area, Youghiogheny River Gorge, Moraine State Park, Allegheny National Forest
- Portland area, Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens
- Sacramento-Reno-Lake Tahoe areas, Northern/Central Sierra Nevada, Mother Lode region
- Salt Lake City area, Wasatch Range, Uinta Mountains
- San Antonio-Austin areas, Texas Hill Country
- San Diego area, Anza-Borrego, Santa Rosa Mountains
- San Francisco Bay area, Big Sur, Napa Valley
- Seattle area and Central Cascades
- Tucson area, Saguaro National Park, Coronado National Forest
- Washington, D.C.-Baltimore areas, Chesapeake Bay, C&O Canal, Northern Blue Ridge Mountains, Allegheny Mountains

The Weekend Explorer 3D series is compatible with a PC or Mac. Weekend Explorer 3D is available at outdoor specialty retailers and map stores or it can be ordered online at www.ngmapstore.com or by calling (800) 962-1643.