PeakFinder

PeakFinder is a browser-based mountain panorama explorer with search, viewpoint controls, visible-peak information, sun and moon settings, and unusually useful export options. Its companion mobile app adds offline panoramas and camera overlays, but the website alone is a satisfying way to put names to a distant ridge or scout a view from somewhere you have never stood.

What is PeakFinder?

The homepage is less brochure than instrument panel. Search for a mountain or coordinates, choose a viewpoint, and PeakFinder builds its experience around the horizon: named summits, altitude and distance settings, a grid, projection choices, sun and moon controls, and a list of visible peaks. The exports are the delightful nerdy bonus—one produces an SVG suitable for printing, while another creates a horizon for Stellarium. Underneath, the project combines terrain models with OpenStreetMap, GeoNames, and regional peak sources. The mobile app takes the same idea outdoors with GPS, offline data, and a camera overlay, but the web version makes a fine virtual lookout of its own.

What you can do there

• Search for a mountain or coordinates
• Inspect labeled peaks from a chosen viewpoint
• Adjust horizon, sun, moon, grid, and projection settings
• Export a printable SVG or Stellarium horizon

Why we picked it

A skyline can be gorgeous and completely anonymous. PeakFinder closes that gap with the precision of a mapping tool and the small thrill of finally learning which bump is which. The printable and astronomy-friendly exports make it more than a one-question novelty.

How to get the most from it

Start with a mountain you know, then move the viewpoint to a nearby summit and compare what becomes visible. Turn on the sun or moon controls if you are planning a photograph, and check the visible-peaks list when the labels grow crowded. Save the SVG when you want a panorama guide that works away from the screen.

Good to know

Peak names and terrain come from several datasets, and the creator notes that some regions contain gaps or errors. The paid mobile app has no recurring subscription and can work offline, but camera alignment depends on device sensors and magnetic interference can upset the compass. Treat PeakFinder as an identification and planning companion, not a replacement for navigation or mountain-safety information.

Who made it, and when?

Fabio Soldati is the credited creator or organization.