diff --git a/src/layouts/Base.astro b/src/layouts/Base.astro
index d3b38da..b530c56 100644
--- a/src/layouts/Base.astro
+++ b/src/layouts/Base.astro
@@ -90,6 +90,17 @@ const pageUrl = new URL(Astro.url.pathname, Astro.site);
                   <span id="live-knb" />
                 </div>
               </div>
+              <figure id="knb-map" class="knb-map" hidden>
+                <figcaption class="knb-map-head">
+                  <span id="knb-map-title">park heat</span>
+                  <span class="knb-map-legend" aria-hidden="true">
+                    <span class="kml kml-quiet" /> &lt;10
+                    <span class="kml kml-busy" /> 10–20
+                    <span class="kml kml-packed" /> 20+ min
+                  </span>
+                </figcaption>
+                <svg id="knb-map-svg" role="img" aria-label="Knoebels ride-wait heat map" />
+              </figure>
             )
           }
         </header>
@@ -267,6 +278,118 @@ const pageUrl = new URL(Astro.url.pathname, Astro.site);
       }
     </script>
 
+    <script>
+      // Homepage park-heat map: one glow per ride from /knoebels/rides
+      // (live while the park is open, typical weekend peak otherwise).
+      // Color = wait class, glow radius = magnitude, top-5 direct labels +
+      // native tooltips carry the values. Fail-closed.
+      const knbFig = document.getElementById('knb-map');
+      if (knbFig) {
+        try {
+          const res = await fetch('https://api.c0smere.net/knoebels/rides');
+          if (!res.ok) throw new Error(String(res.status));
+          const data = await res.json();
+          const rides: any[] = data.rides;
+          if (rides.length < 10) throw new Error('too few rides');
+
+          const W = 640;
+          const PAD = 36;
+          const lats = rides.map((r) => r.lat);
+          const lons = rides.map((r) => r.lon);
+          const mnLa = Math.min(...lats);
+          const mxLa = Math.max(...lats);
+          const mnLo = Math.min(...lons);
+          const mxLo = Math.max(...lons);
+          const cosLat = Math.cos((((mnLa + mxLa) / 2) * Math.PI) / 180);
+          const H =
+            Math.round(
+              (W - 2 * PAD) * ((mxLa - mnLa) / ((mxLo - mnLo) * cosLat)),
+            ) +
+            2 * PAD;
+          const px = (lo: number) =>
+            PAD + ((lo - mnLo) / (mxLo - mnLo)) * (W - 2 * PAD);
+          const py = (la: number) =>
+            H - PAD - ((la - mnLa) / (mxLa - mnLa)) * (H - 2 * PAD);
+
+          const CLR: Record<string, string> = {
+            quiet: '#16a34a',
+            busy: '#d97706',
+            packed: '#ef4444',
+          };
+          const cls = (w: number) =>
+            w < 10 ? 'quiet' : w < 20 ? 'busy' : 'packed';
+          const maxWait = Math.max(...rides.map((r) => r.wait_min), 1);
+
+          const NS = 'http://www.w3.org/2000/svg';
+          const svg = document.getElementById('knb-map-svg')!;
+          svg.setAttribute('viewBox', `0 0 ${W} ${H}`);
+          const defs = document.createElementNS(NS, 'defs');
+          for (const [k, c] of Object.entries(CLR)) {
+            const g = document.createElementNS(NS, 'radialGradient');
+            g.id = `knb-g-${k}`;
+            for (const [off, op] of [
+              ['0%', '0.55'],
+              ['55%', '0.22'],
+              ['100%', '0'],
+            ]) {
+              const s = document.createElementNS(NS, 'stop');
+              s.setAttribute('offset', off);
+              s.setAttribute('stop-color', c);
+              s.setAttribute('stop-opacity', op);
+              g.append(s);
+            }
+            defs.append(g);
+          }
+          svg.append(defs);
+
+          // draw coolest-first so hot glows sit on top
+          for (const r of [...rides].sort((a, b) => a.wait_min - b.wait_min)) {
+            const k = cls(r.wait_min);
+            const glow = document.createElementNS(NS, 'circle');
+            glow.setAttribute('cx', String(px(r.lon)));
+            glow.setAttribute('cy', String(py(r.lat)));
+            glow.setAttribute('r', String(9 + (r.wait_min / maxWait) * 30));
+            glow.setAttribute('fill', `url(#knb-g-${k})`);
+            glow.style.mixBlendMode = 'screen';
+            const core = document.createElementNS(NS, 'circle');
+            core.setAttribute('cx', String(px(r.lon)));
+            core.setAttribute('cy', String(py(r.lat)));
+            core.setAttribute('r', '2.2');
+            core.setAttribute('fill', CLR[k]);
+            const hit = document.createElementNS(NS, 'circle');
+            hit.setAttribute('cx', String(px(r.lon)));
+            hit.setAttribute('cy', String(py(r.lat)));
+            hit.setAttribute('r', '12');
+            hit.setAttribute('fill', 'transparent');
+            const tip = document.createElementNS(NS, 'title');
+            tip.textContent = `${r.name} — ${r.wait_min} min`;
+            hit.append(tip);
+            svg.append(glow, core, hit);
+          }
+
+          // direct labels on the five longest waits, alternating above/below
+          const top = [...rides]
+            .sort((a, b) => b.wait_min - a.wait_min)
+            .slice(0, 5)
+            .sort((a, b) => a.lon - b.lon);
+          top.forEach((r, i) => {
+            const t = document.createElementNS(NS, 'text');
+            t.setAttribute('x', String(px(r.lon)));
+            t.setAttribute('y', String(py(r.lat) + (i % 2 ? 20 : -11)));
+            t.setAttribute('text-anchor', 'middle');
+            t.textContent = `${r.name.toLowerCase()} ${Math.round(r.wait_min)}m`;
+            svg.append(t);
+          });
+
+          document.getElementById('knb-map-title')!.textContent =
+            `park heat · ${data.label}`;
+          knbFig.hidden = false;
+        } catch {
+          /* API down: map stays hidden */
+        }
+      }
+    </script>
+
     <script>
       // Odometer: fetch totals once, then animate forward at the lifetime
       // average rate. Looks live, but deliberately never exposes current
@@ -568,6 +691,41 @@ const pageUrl = new URL(Astro.url.pathname, Astro.site);
       .knb-dot-typical { background: #e8a13c; }
       .knb-dot-packed { background: #d9480f; }
       .knb-dot-closed { background: var(--muted); animation: none; }
+      .knb-map {
+        margin: -0.9rem 0 1.9rem;
+      }
+      .knb-map-head {
+        display: flex;
+        justify-content: space-between;
+        align-items: baseline;
+        font-size: 0.72rem;
+        color: var(--muted);
+        margin-bottom: 0.35rem;
+      }
+      .knb-map-legend {
+        display: inline-flex;
+        gap: 0.4rem;
+        align-items: center;
+      }
+      .kml {
+        width: 7px;
+        height: 7px;
+        border-radius: 50%;
+        display: inline-block;
+      }
+      .kml-quiet { background: #16a34a; }
+      .kml-busy { background: #d97706; }
+      .kml-packed { background: #ef4444; }
+      .knb-map svg {
+        width: 100%;
+        height: auto;
+        display: block;
+      }
+      .knb-map text {
+        font-family: inherit;
+        font-size: 11px;
+        fill: var(--muted);
+      }
       .live-dot {
         flex: none;
         width: 7px;