Cliff Hanger Trail Overlooking Factory [ overhead view ] [ from lookout ] Lion's Back and Potato Salad Hill Arches National Park

The Good and Bad

Google Maps provides both detailed street level and satellite imagery maps. While street level maps cover entire United States, Canada, and UK, high resolution satellite images seem to cover only more populated areas. For outdoor enthusiasts visiting urban areas, this is great. But for those visiting rural or wilderness areas, Google still has a ways to go before more detailed imagery is available.

Images seem to be pretty up-to-date, at least within areas I checked. For example, my house is located near a new housing development, and I can see houses that were started within last year on map.

With Google aiming to expand its reach, I'm sure that we'll see maps with greater detail and higher resolution in future. That's good news for outdoor enthusiasts.

Things to Note

• Image resolution varies by distance. At lowest resolution/farthest distance, you can identify large landmarks such as mountains, rivers, and large lakes. At highest resolution/closest distance, you can locate specific cars, buildings, trees, hills, creeks, and more.
• Satellite images are current within a year or so, but they are not in real-time.

Copyright © Henricks Outdoors.

Jeremy Henricks is an outdoor writer and founder of Henricks Outdoors (www.henricksoutdoors.com).

Divers and visitors in general who come to Dangerous Reef with main intention of observing sharks should plan their visit between March and May. Between March and May is when white sharks can be more easily seen due to fact that during this time is when there are more chances that they would approach shallow area.

Besides sharks and seals which can be observed when visiting it, Dangerous Reef also offers other interesting attractions. This Reef contains some very beautiful corals which divers could enjoy along with this area's interesting reef walls. Between March and April is best time for visiting Dangerous Reef. During these months is when reef corals offer best picture to observe and therefore it might be ideal time for visiting area as well as during those months is when visitors in general can also have chance to observe sharks near shallow waters.