Have you seen Google Trekker?

Have any of you seen this big blue ball bounding around on trails, crawling through caves, and making its way around other nooks and crannies that a car, bike, trolley, or even a snowmobile can't reach?

Google Trekker has been making its rounds across the world. And recently, it was spotted in Canada's 1000 Islands National Park.

Hello world! For three days, from August 20-22, 2013, Google Trekker visited the 1000 Islands National Park of Canada.

The views from Google Trekker around the world gives me chills of the best kind. It sure beats traditional Street View!

What is Google Trekker?

Google Trekker is a backpack-mounted, sophisticated camera system that captures 360-degree panoramic images. It weighs about 40 lbs and is worn by a Google operator who can leave the street and go anywhere a person can hike. It’s Google Maps Street View gone wild – I mean off-road.

Google Trekker needed a boat to get to the 1000 Islands trails on Camelot, McDonald, Mermaid, Beau Rivage islands, and more. I don't think you'd want to haul that 40 lbs pack and camera on a kayak!

For more information and pictures about Google Trekker in the 1000 Islands, my next story is up on The Great Waterway, a cool Ontario Tourism website where I've been a regular blogger for three years:

Google Trekker in the 1000 Islands National Park

Happy trails!
The BaffinPaddler

Credits: Special thanks to Parks Canada for providing me with information and images about Google Trekker in the 1000 Islands and other Canadian national parks and historic sites, and for answering my questions. Sophie Borcoman, is the Visitor Experience Manager for the 1000 Islands National Park of Canada and is the spokesperson for the Parks Canada project with Google in the 1000 Islands. Images courtesy of Parks Canada.