Know where you are.
Know what's coming next.
Gaia GPS for rivers. Track your miles, scout what's ahead, log your runs — open source, built by paddlers.
What is this?
Nobody's staring at a phone in whitewater. But on the flat stretches between rapids — when you're trying to figure out how far you've come, or what's around the next bend, or how many miles to camp — that's when you want to glance down and just know. Current is that: river GPS with scouting data, trip logging, and rapid reference tagged to the actual water level you're running. Gaia GPS meets Strava, but for rivers.
Before a big rapid, pull up photos and route lines from paddlers who've run it at your flow. When you're off the water, log your miles and relive the trip. The data behind all of it is OpenRiverMap — an open dataset licensed so nobody can lock it up. The more people paddle, the better the scouting data gets for everyone.
How it works
You paddle, it tracks
A waterproof GPS module logs your position and miles while you're on the water. Glance at it on the slow stretches. Check it when you pull over. It knows where you are so you don't have to guess.
You scout, it shows what's ahead
Before a rapid, pull up photos and routes from paddlers who've run it — at your water level. What's clean at 2,000 CFS might be a hole at 5,000. The data is tagged to conditions, not just geography.
Your runs build the map
Every trip contributes to OpenRiverMap — the open dataset behind it all. The more people paddle, the better the scouting data gets. ODbL licensed, so nobody can lock it up.
Rivers we're starting with
We're building where we paddle. The first rivers in the dataset are Idaho runs that Mat and Julie know from the water — the proving grounds.
Where we are
This is an early-stage project. Here's an honest look at what exists, what we're working on, and what's next.
Done
- River data schema with flow-conditional features
- Web interface design (what you're looking at)
- USGS gauge integration for live flow data
- Hardware module component selection (Quectel LC29H, IMU, LoRa)
Now
- Map interface for river browsing and scouting
- First river dataset entries (Middle Fork Salmon)
- Talking to paddlers about what would actually be useful
Next
- Hardware prototype — RTK GPS field module
- Offline map support for canyon dead zones
- Trip logging and mile tracking
- Scouting photo integration at rapid markers
Interested?
If you paddle Idaho rivers and want to see where this goes, leave your email. No spam — just occasional project updates and an invite when there's something to try.
Questions? Ideas? Complaints? ryan@malloys.us