onX Unveils the Best Places to Watch the Eclipse for Outdoor Enthusiasts
Path of totality covers 10+ million acres of publicly accessible land, with Arkansas and New York offering the most recreational opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts.
Today, onX, a pioneer in digital outdoor navigation, unveiled the best spots in the country for outdoor enthusiasts to view the upcoming solar eclipse and take advantage of recreational opportunities on surrounding public land. In keeping with the company’s mission to awaken the adventurer in everyone, onX analyzed its mapping data along the path of totality’s 111.4M acres to identify places rich with public acreage, trail miles, water bodies, climbing crags and other recreation opportunities.
The onX data highlights viewing hotspots accessible to anyone with a sense of adventure. This data, which is available within the onX suite of navigation apps (onX Backcountry, onX Offroad and onX Hunt), also provides users with a clear understanding of public land boundaries along the eclipse’s path, as well as hiking trails, off-roading roads and trails, rock climbing areas, mountain biking trails, offline maps, and more.
“A total solar eclipse only happens a handful of times in one’s lifetime. While the event itself may only last a few hours, the memory of that experience lasts forever, especially if it’s accompanied by an activity we enjoy–whether that’s four-wheeling, hiking, or biking across a new landscape,” said onX CEO Laura Orvidas. “We hope this data inspires folks to escape the crowds and find some solitude to witness this celestial event.”
Along the path of totality, there are:
- 10+ million acres of publicly accessible land
- 9,502 miles of hiking trails
- 7,524 miles of off-roading trails
- 4,059 campsites and campgrounds
- 4,112 miles of mountain biking trails
- 2,259 climbing areas
Of the 11 states within the eclipse’s path of totality, the top five most accessible states, based on acres of public land, are Arkansas, New York, Missouri, Indiana and Maine. Viewers within each state along the eclipse’s path of totality can enjoy the following recreation opportunities:
- Arkansas: 3,097,069 acres of publicly accessible land.
- Paddle the Buffalo National River, hike over 350 miles of trails in the Ozark National Forest, off-road through the Ouachita National Forest, or explore the mountain bike trail system outside Hot Springs National Park.
- New York: 2,939,917 acres of publicly accessible land.
- The Adirondacks have over 3,000 lakes and 30,000 miles of rivers and streams. This park also has nearly 2,500 climbing routes. On the eastern side of the state, Letchworth and Allegany State Parks are home to 50 miles of hiking trails and beautiful views.
- Missouri: 1,334,929 acres of publicly accessible land.
- Off-road in St. Joe State Park or explore over 1,000 miles of hiking trails in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways and Mark Twain National Forest.
- Indiana: 583,903 acres of publicly accessible land.
- Explore over 100 climbing routes in Muscatatuck Park, hike Brown County State Park and Hoosier National Forest trails, or get out on the water at Brookville Lake.
- Maine: 543,185 acres of publicly accessible land.
- There are over 12,000 miles of trails in Maine’s path of totality, many found in Baxter State Park and the Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument. Most (255 miles) of the Appalachian Trail in the Pine Tree State is within the eclipse’s Path of Totality.
Additionally, Vermont has 26 ski areas along the path of totality. Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio is the only national park within the eclipse’s path. Texas has the most mountain biking mileage, with over 900 miles of trails around Dallas, Austin and San Antonio.
“Many eclipse viewers will explore new corners of public land that they haven’t visited before,” added Orvidas. “With that adventure comes a responsibility to steward these shared grounds. Our friends at Leave No Trace have outlined a few suggestions on how to lower our impact when watching the eclipse–including reminders to plan ahead, camp and travel on durable surfaces and be considerate of others and the community that you’re visiting.”
Outdoor enthusiasts can download onX at www.onxmaps.com and enjoy a free 7-day trial. Members can click on the following links to add the Path of Totality to their map and see what recreational opportunities exist near their viewing location.
Individual maps of each hotspot are available for media upon request.
About onX
Founded in 2009, onX is a pioneer in digital outdoor navigation, developing software that helps inform, inspire, and empower outdoor recreationists. onX Hunt, onX Offroad, and onX Backcountry make up the company’s suite of apps and are built by explorers for explorers. Because off-the-beaten-path experiences are at the heart of what onX does, the company also leads initiatives to protect and expand access to public land. Since 2018, onX has worked with various partners to secure and improve public land access through direct funding and by supporting key legislation with data analysis and research. Learn more: https://www.onxmaps.com/about