American West: I have been fortunate to travel during the course of my work and other adventures, and am most fond of our National Forests.

The following analysis provides a bit of perspective on these trips, starting with the distribution by state:

Next, we add specific geographic location and a gradient indicating elevation in feet. Camp names are visible with a mouse-over. Zoom in with a mouse scroll to get a better sense for the terrain at each site.

Adding time to the location data produces a 3D map. Latitude is highlighted by the color gradient, with southern latitudes in red. While this graph is disconnected from a geographic background, you can still make out the distribution. By clicking, holding and moving the mouse, you can rotate the view. With latitude along the left and longitude along the bottom, it is quite similar to the previous map. Now, rotating away from that view, the time distribution become apparent. Discrete trips cluster in groups, and gaps from seasonal variability are observable.

Similarly, comparing month of visit to latitude provides some insight into travel patterns. The color gradient indicates elevation, as in the first map. A curve, fit to the data points, demonstrates a pattern of visiting southern, low elevation latitudes in the winter, and high latitude/elevation sites mid-summer.

And here, we have some additional analysis of trip distribution. Two conclusions I draw: My enthusiasm (and mileage) is growing, and I am excited to get out and explore again each February!

Thanks to the people at Ultimate Campgrounds for helping me find many of these sites. And thanks to Plot.ly for visualization support.