Every US outdoor map I have tried has always had something lacking.
The USGS 7.5 minute quads are the tried and true backcountry map that hikers have relied on for years.
But most of these USGS maps are 40+ years old!
Ouch. 😧
So what about the US Forest Service maps? These maps are much more up to date. Yeah! 👏
But…
They only cover parts of the US, they don’t cover the US National Parks, they generally don’t cover trails close to urban areas, and they are only updated every few years.
My favorite snowshoeing trail does not have coverage from the US Forest Service Map.
So why not use a map based on the Open Street Map (i.e. Thunderforest or Glacier Topo)? These map are continuously updated with the latest data. Yeah!
However…
In the US, the Open Street Maps are usually missing many of the backcountry features like timberline, creeks, trails, and glaciers. (In many other countries Open Street Maps have much better coverage for backcountry features.)
This Open Street Map is missing a trail and a creek.
The best US outdoor map needs to combine up to date data from all of the US land management entities. The map needs to be created with data from the national parks, state parks, forest service, etc.
It should be continually updated and cover all of the US.
It needs to have backcountry features. It must have timberline, glaciers, trails, creeks, streams, springs, trail heads, etc
And it should be readable at all zoom levels with a beautiful style.
And finally…
It needs to focus on outdoor use and not on navigation around your city.
I have been looking for a map that fits this criteria for a while and I am super excited to announce that I have found it!
The map is called Natural Atlas and it is available in Topo Maps+ for all Topo Maps+ Pro users.
Natural Atlas was built with data from national, state, and local land management agencies. External data is heavily reviewed in order to correct errors, improve accuracy, fill in gaps, remove duplicates, and to get it to stylistically match everything else on the map. Public data is not available in much of the country, and in these areas, Natural Atlas created the data.
The Natural Atlas has
- 215,000+ Miles of Trails
- 13,000+ Boat Ramps
- 12,000+ Trailheads
- 6,000+ Public Campgrounds
- 4,900+ Campsites
- 1,300+ Dispersed Camping Areas
- 4,200+ Fishing Access Sites
- 4,000+ Picnic Areas
