National Geographic has launched its newest online Geotourism MapGuide.

The new MapGuide to the Yosemite Gateway is the first of four within the Sierra Nevada.  It moves beyond the Yosemite National Park borders to highlight natural and cultural heritage and include interactive features for custom trip planning.

Says James Dion, associate director of National Geographic’s Center for Sustainable Destinations:

“The entire world has heard of Yosemite, and rightly so. However, the magic of this MapGuide is that it includes the surrounding Sierra Nevada, a region that deserves to become a household name, too. Our commitment is to preserving the enormous scenic and cultural assets of both.”

National Geographic defines geotourism as “tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place — its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage and the well-being of its residents.”

In conjunction with National Geographic, the Sierra Nevada Conservancy and Sierra Business Council are sponsoring the MapGuide.  Funding was also received from the Federal Highway Administration Scenic Byways Program and the Morgan Family Foundation.

The Yosemite Gateway MapGuide includes locals’ secrets about one-of-kind coffee houses, spectacular drives, deserted mining towns and Mariposa Butterfly Festival.  More than 800 map point nominations were received from the region’s residents.

The MapGuide Website is the completion of the first phase in the Yosemite Gateway area.  This summer, the project will ask for nominations from the Tahoe Emigrant Corridor which includes the counties of Placer, Nevada, El Dorado, Washoe, Douglas and Carson.

For more info, check out the MapGuide site.