Our Red River Gorge Trail Tee is the ultimate conversation starter and functional wearable. We brought it back by popular demand so you can now get the shirt that fellow hikers have literally tried to buy right off our backs.
This is the perfect gift for adventurers, climbers, or anyone who’s tried to explain why you’d drive for hours just to walk in the woods. Currently available in very limited quantities!
KyFromAbove released Phase 3 aerial photography, including oblique imagery, in Spring 2025. The images are available to download and are open data. However, finding the right set of images to download might be a task.
This viewer allows you to zoom in and see the available images for each exposure point, which takes 5 images: one nadir and four at cardinal directions. With 885,789 exposures, that’s over 4.4 million images, which range between 40 MB and 100 MB at roughly 10k x 15k pixels per image.
You can interactively search and download them through this website:
boydx.github.io/phase-3-oblique-centroids
You can interactively
The oblique images are hosted as TIFFs on a KyFromAbove AWS S3 bucket and can be previewed on mobile devices using modern browsers.
Below are some screenshots of the viewer and oblique images.
Can we detect changes in surface height over time, at a neighborhood scale? The changes in heights represent the loss and growth of trees, buildings, and other features of the built environment.
KyFromAbove has multiple phases of lidar point clouds for Kentucky as open data. In this interactive map of Lexington, Kentucky (inside New Circle), we demonstrate how to visualize and explore these changes in surface height between 2010 (Phase 1) and 2019 (Phase 2) lidar point clouds.
While most point clouds are colorized by aerial photography to give a realistic view of the surface, this project uses a different approach. Points are colorized by the amount of change in surface height between the two phases. The color scale is from red (decrease in height) to blue (increase in height). Both phases are shown simultaneously with the ability to toggle the visibility of each phase.
View the interactive Potree scene viewer (which is VR-enabled) through this website:
Below are some screenshots of the viewer focused on Kentucky Proud Park at the University of Kentucky campus.
Have you ever needed to create a quick GPS track, plot a few points on a map, and generate shareable spatial data on the fly in the field? This browser app utilizes your browser’s local storage to save GeoJSON features as you create them interactively, using your mobile device’s GPS or manually placing points. Your data is kept on your device and is never shared until you decide to export a GeoJSON file. The base maps in this app use KyFromAbove’s latest high-resolution aerial imagery and elevation data.
Start GPS mapping through this website:
Building on our elevation profile maker, we examined height and elevation measures generated in the browser from Phase 2 elevation data within Lexington’s New Circle Road area.
Given the absence of a statewide digital surface model (DSM) for Phase 2, we created a self-hosted raster tileset. This approach encodes elevations as RGB JPEGs or PNGs, which can be natively read by browsers.
The DSM was calculated from the Phase 2 point cloud using the highest first-return in a 2-foot resolution raster. The DSM was converted to an RGB terrain. The following formula converts the three-band values to elevations:
Oblique of Frankfort
Viewer interface
Viewer interface
Viewer interface
Oblique of Laurel Lake
Search by flight and shot ID
Attributes of image footprint centroid
Phase 1 decrease in height
Phase 2 increase in height
Phases combined
Phase 2 colorized with aerial photography
Viewer interface
Viewer interface
Viewer interfacee = (r * 256) + g + (b / 256)
Pretty simple! This encoding works for Lexington’s range of surface elevations, has a sub-inch precision, and can be interpreted by MapLibre as a ground surface on which to drape features. A shaded relief map of the DSM with tree canopy cover height is the default base map. In terrain mode, the map becomes a 3D surface showing relative heights of features.
Height is calculated by subtracting the digital elevation model (DEM) elevation from the DSM surface elevation. The DEM is a 2-foot resolution raster that models bare-earth ground elevation and is hosted on kyraster.ky.gov.
Explore the web page here: https://boydx.github.io/urban-observation-towers
Click the map to sample heights and elevations. Export the samples as a GeoJSON for use in another application.
Enlarge screenshot from the web page
Data derived from LiDAR collected in 2019 and provided KyFromAbove and the Kentucky Division of Geographic Information (DGI). Building footprints © OpenStreetMap Contributors. Analysis by UKy Department of Geography and Boyd Shearer.
Using the latest KyFromAbove 3-inch resolution aerial photography from 2024, we can get comfortably lost on our backcountry adventures. The latest imagery from our state’s aerial mapping program is impressive and in line with previous releases: it’s comprehensive, authoritative, highly detailed, and open data. We have updated two projects with the latest base maps from KyFromAbove.
Kentucky has multiple statewide elevation layers derived from lidar point clouds. KyFromAbove Phase 1 lidar has both a 5-foot resolution ground (bare-earth) and above-ground (trees and buildings) elevation models hosted as open raster data.
We can query these layers to find ground and surface feature elevations at specific locations, such as along a line. These elevation profiles are useful in urban planning, environmental studies, and infrastructure development.
Create elevation profiles and save the data as JSON.
Below are a screenshots from the web page.
Creating multiple profiles at Laurel Lake
Downloading them as JSON for use in other applications
KyFromAbove has three phases of collecting high-resolution aerial imagery and elevation data. Over the last few weeks, we have made a four browser apps with MapLibre GL JS, Leaflet, and Esri JavaScript APIs that allow users to visualize and interact with the data from each phase. This page provides links to the apps:
KyFromAbove has long produced elevation datasets for the public. Using their Phase II lidar point clouds, we created a new shaded relief and DEM raster tile sets for web mapping. While most mapping applications focus on ground elevations, we use the above-ground elevations to make a digital surface model (DSM). These elevations show buildings, trees, and even cars.
These above-ground elevations, however, have unique challenges. The latest project attempts to minimize errors and create visually impactful shaded relief and RGB terrain layers from DEMs for elevations.
Check out the preview here: outrageGIS.com/maps/new-circle
Lexington’s UKy campus
Two new layers have been added to the web map for the Daniel Boone NF and Big South Fork NRRA: the National Land Cover Database (NLCD) for 2021 (mrlc.gov) and mined lands, 1985–2020 (skytruth.org). The NLCD is a 30-meter resolution (each cell is 30×30 meters) land cover dataset showing each cell’s dominant land use.
The cells are symbolized to show features significant for the area, such as multiple types of vegetation cover, the density of the built environment, and barren land. Inside the NF and NPS boundaries, barren land is likely to be exposures of bedrock, boulders, and earthen materials. For example, it shows Cumberland Falls. Outside of these boundaries, barren land is likely mines or construction sites.
While the layer is low-resolution compared to the aerial photography layer, the NLCD helps us quickly understand landscape conditions that would be tedious to interpret from aerial photography alone.
One can identify the distribution of basic forest types and habitat patterns. The NLCD can be useful for understanding the extent of the wildland-urban interface — a vital consideration for Trail Towns, maintaining wildlife corridors, and managing tourism development in the region.
The NLCD layer, in conjunction with other layers on the web map, provides a comprehensive view of the public lands in the region. Before your next trip to the Daniel Boone NF or Big South Fork NRRA, take a look at all layers to get a sense of the landscape you will be visiting.
Yahoo Falls Picnic Area is located in the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area in Kentucky. The scenic area contains short hikes and overlooks of the Cumberland River and Yahoo Falls, an impressively tall waterfall. The area is surrounded by the Daniel Boone National Forest with a variety of trails and camping options. You can create a 9-mile loop hike by combining the Yahoo Falls Trail, Sheltowee Trace, and USFS 602 & 612 trails.
Backpacking tips. While no camping is allowed in the Picnic Area, Alum Ford primitive campground is about 2 miles south on the Sheltowee Trace. Big South Fork manages the campground and it is $15/night. There is no water or electricity at the campground and cellular service is weak along the Cumberland River. Hit me up for additional tips. Get lost and have a blast.
With 2,000 vertical feet, the hike to Hensley Settlement is a challenging mountain adventure. Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is Kentucky’s only mountain national park and sees the fraction of visitors that other parks and forests see. Why? It’s not easy to get to the Hensley Flats, a mountain-top grassland that the Hensley-Gibson families cultivated and lived for decades. The shortest route to Hensley is via Chadwell Gap, a 4-mile one-way trip. It’s steep. The next option is via the Civic Park trailhead, an 8-mile one-way trip. It’s steep and long. But, you’ll visit incredible destinations and overlooks, including the White Rocks overlook and Sand Cave, one of the largest rock shelters in the region. For an epic day or overnight, start at the Wilderness Road campground and take the Gibson Gap Trail to the Ridge Trail. You’ll be alone in the wilderness. When you get to Hensley, prepare yourself for a proper, crystal-clear mountain high.
Banjo tune, Cumberland Gap, performed by Rich Kirby @appalshop
Backpacking tips. This national park requires a free permit to camp in the backcountry. The cabin at Martins Fork, with three bunk beds and a fireplace, can be rented. Black bears are very active in the park. Drinking water can be hard to find on the Ridge Trail. Hensley Settlement has a water spigot that is available from spring through fall. The larger streams flow all year. The maps in the video show campsites. Hit me up for additional tips. Get lost and have a blast.
outrageGIS.com started in 1999 and has been continuously online since then. The first version of the website had this animated GIF. Check out the evolution of the site on the Wayback Machine.
While we are known for trail maps, we started mapping for video animation and broadcast graphics. You might remember your nightly local news in Kentucky and seeing maps—we might have contributed to that graphic.
In the early 2000s, we slung on a Trimble Pro XRS backpack GPS unit, outfitted a one-color offset press studio, and began printing spot and process color maps. Our first title was the Red River Gorge trail, a two-color map that we sold in local gas stations. We then printed titles for the Big South Fork, Great Smokies, Cumberland Gap, and the Daniel Boone National Forest. We did numerous contract maps for state parks and non-profits, and even an audio driving tour, The First Frontier Audio Driving Tour.
In 2008, Boyd started teaching at the UKy Department of Geography and accepted a faculty position in 2018. His work focuses on terrain modeling and topographic mapping using lidar data. Periodically, outrageGIS mapping is brought into the classroom to demonstrate web and digital media technologies.
If you live near downtown Lexington, you don’t have far to travel to find sidewalks and shared-use paths that provide an escape to a nascent wildland.
Town Branch Trail is an example. Lexington was built on this stream called the “Town Branch of the Elkhorn.” It was the industrial heart of early Lexington. Most cities have industrialized spaces that become abandoned. These derelict landscapes are primed for recreational and educational opportunities.
Wherever you live, advocate for building local trails.
Over the years teaching GIS & mapping, Boyd has tried to connect his students with real-world mapping opportunities. One such opportunity emerged when Rowan County, Kentucky, wanted an interactive map showing trails and tourism destinations in the area. Workshopping with students in GEO 305 (Elements of Cartography) and later MAP 672 (Programming for Web Mapping) in UKy’s Department of Geography, he drafted a web map.
The criteria for this map were that it needed to be completely open source (without relying on any for-fee platforms) and self-contained—the project lives in a folder that could be dropped into any web server and would just work. This project uses LeafletJS and public base maps from Kentucky DGI.
The page departs from the traditional web map; marginalia, typically on a print map, was added to this map. A viewer can zoom into the legend! While the creative choices made on this project offered a fulfilling experience, students have their own trajectories and soon pivot interests after a course is finished.
The project is a draft, but it is active. Tell us what you think: https://outrageGIS.com/rowan
KyFromAbove Data Explorer