This is a wonderful idea. planing a trip and finding out what claims might be on the way. like a road atlas.

Guys,
Great idea and I have created a number of heat maps in the past for the claims but there are a number of downfalls to interactive mapping like this and I know almost all of them which made this mostly user unfriendly on Google Earth especially based on road closures, construction and so on. Not saying that it can't be done but I use a different solution that is easier for me and other members I have walked them through the steps.

Here are the steps.
I take my starting location (Home) and find my first claim using the Online Mining Guide and open it up. I will open the ingress tab which opens in Google Maps in a separate window which I call my planner map which I leave open. Then I go back to my claims page and go to the next claim that I want to go to based on member reviews, open the ingress copy and paste it to my trip planner map as a add destination and repeat this with all of the claims I want to visit based on member feedback then send it to my phone and print a copy. What I have is a plotted trip that includes real time closed road work arounds, road construction and a lot of other great information.
Hope this helps, Give me some time to get caught up and I will make a video on how I get around using the Online Mining Guide to plot a trip.
Kevin

I think the idea was more of a map with the general location of claims in a state, and the member can see where locations are, and even adjust their route if needed, ie. Southern California to the Oregon border via I-5. A general location map would show what's available along that route, and then the member can drill down into specific claims and see if they want to prospect any of them.

I'll use my home state as an example. In Oregon, you can show a group of claims in the Baker City area, another in the area between Salem and Eugene, another group south of Eugene, and the last in the southern part of the state, around the I-5 area.

Claims could be grouped by area to tie in with the general locations. Yes, I realize you can search by county, but not everyone will know locations of counties if they are from out of state.

Art,
Excellent feedback as usual. I think that I may be oversimplifying or over thinking this in a way. For myself and those that I have helped in planning a trip. I open the Printed Mining Guide to the beginning of each state. From there I see the properties that are listed by county on the state map which I corresponded to my route. Since we know that changes happen with claims adding and subtracting, I go to the Online Mining Guide to plot based on current claims.

From my location in AZ, I know that I am going to travel the I-10 to the I-5 then North to Salem. Knowing where the I-10 and the I-5 are I can see on the map that I will be going through La Paz in AZ, Riverside, San Berdo in CA, and so on. This takes me through LaPaz in AZ and Riverside as a direct route. I look at the claims in the online guide then drop in the ones that I want to prospect into my route. Heading north I look a Mariposa which is off my direct route but if I see a claim I want to prospect, I look at the county map in the printed Mining Guide starting with the heat map for the county that shows where the claims are with pin drops and the historical info on major gold deposits then I make a decision on if I drop those into my route as well based on the Online Mining Guide.

This way I know what is along my route and I have picked the claims I want to prospect based on real time information.

Maybe I’m being too much of a nerd but again, with the folks I’ve helped plan Mining trips they were quite enthusiastic of the expanded info that got them onto some gold.

Kevin, if I can add a reply please remember that 95 percent of people don't know what counties they are traveling through. If you are going up the 10 then up the 5 it would be great to see what claims you are going near while on your way. More of a road map with pins.

Thanks!