Selecting a Map

Topo Maps+ supports a wide variety of maps to help you with your next adventure.  You can easily change maps by selecting the map icon in the upper right corner.

 

When you select a map many of them will give you the option to turn hill shading on or off.

Here are two examples of a map with and then without hill shading.

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You also have the option to turn selectable trails on or off.  (Click here to read more about selectable trails.)  Selectable trails overlay the map with trail data from the OpenStreetMap.  Turning on selectable trails makes it easier to see trails when zoomed out and it lets you tap on a trail to get its distance and elevation profile.

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1. USGS Topo Maps

In the US the USGS Topo Maps are the ultimate backcountry map.  They have the most detail for off the grid locations.  They include rivers, lakes, trails, timberlines, and many more backcountry features.  Most of these maps were made between 1940 and 1960, so they are not the best for urban areas where there has been new developments over the last 50 years.

Topo Maps+ has two different USGS maps sources and you can view the maps either with or without shading.  You can use the USGS topo maps from either CalTopo or Glacier Peak Studios.  In general the maps from CalTopo have higher resolution.

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2. NRCAN & GEOBC Topo Maps for Southern and Western Canada

The Topo Maps from CalTopo also include NRCAN & GEOBC Topo Maps for southern and western Canada.  These are excellent backcountry maps for Canada.  However, these maps from CalTopo do not cover all of Canada.  You can use the NRCan, Glacier Topo, or Thunderforest for all of Canada.  The map source for these NRCan/GEOBC maps is faster than the one for the NRCan maps that cover all of Canada.  So if you are using topo maps for southern or western Canada you will find that this map loads and downloads faster.

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3. NRCan Maps for all of Canada

In Topo Maps+ you can also use NRCan maps from Toporama that cover all of Canada.  These maps are more up to date than the ones from CalTopo, but they are also slower to download.

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4. World Wide Topo Maps with Thunderforest Topo Map

Thunderforest Topo Map is a world wide topo map that has hiking, biking, and ski trails.  The data for Thunderforest comes from the Open Cycle Map and it is continually being updated.

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5. World Wide Topo Maps with Glacier Topo Map

The Glacier Topo Map is another great option for world wide topo maps and for urban areas in the US.  It has hiking, biking, and ski trails.

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6. Satellite Imagery with MapBox Satellite

When researching where to have your next adventure it is often helpful to look at satellite imagery.  The satellite map from MapBox lets you view you routes and waypoints on a satellite map.

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7. New Zealand Topo 50 map from LINZ (Land Information New Zealand)

The LINZ Topo50 map is the ultimate map for exploring New Zealand.  The Topo50 map series provides topographic mapping for the New Zealand mainland and Chatham Islands at 1:50,000 scale.

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8. MapBox Street Maps

When you just need a street map to get a to campground or trail head you can use MapBox Street Maps.

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9. World Wide Run, Hike, Bike Map

MapBox Run, Hike, Bike Topo Map is a world wide topo map with trails.   This map is also being continually updated.

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10. US National Map from USGS

The USGS is working on a new US National Map to replace the historical USGS topo maps.  This map is not as high of resolution as the historical USGS topo maps.  It has better updated information in urban areas, but the information for the backcountry is not as good as the historical USGS topo maps.

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11. Partial US National Park Visitor Maps

Some of the US National Park Visitor maps have been scanned into digital maps and you can view them in Topo Maps+.  Topo Maps+ does not have maps for all of the US National Parks, just for some of them.  When you zoom in on the map and there is no map for the area, it will be black.

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12. Partial US Forest Service Maps

Some of the US Forest Service maps have been scanned into digital maps and you can view them in Topo Maps+.  These maps do not cover all of the US.

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13. US NOAA Marine Charts

In Topo Maps+ you can access the US NOAA Marine Charts for use along the US coastlines.

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Use These Maps Offline

You can use all of these maps offline.  You will need to download the regions you want available offline before you go into the backcountry.

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Read more about using Topo Maps+ offline.