Travel

USGS Releases Free Topographical Maps For Hikers

These precise, custom topographical maps for outdoor recreation are being made free.

The new topographical maps from the USGS are custom, precise, and free.
(Getty Images)

Going for a hike this fall?

The U.S. Geological Survey has free maps that might come in handy.

The public topoBuilder app is now offering custom maps made free with their 25K Recreational Topo layer. The service includes trails, campgrounds, elevation contours and other details for free.

The National Map created by the USGS has long been used for industrial, legal, and other purposes, but this latest application is focused on outdoor fun.

The map’s precise scale is key to being used for hikers, mountain bikers, and anyone who needs precise details while in the backcountry.

“The 25K Recreational Topo map is a digital topographic map that covers 7.5-minutes of longitude by 7.5-minutes of latitude (an area of approximately 50 to 70 square miles) and is produced at a scale of 1:25,000,” the USGS explains.

Translated into more simple terms, that means the maps are detailed enough to judge distances and route options on the map down to a few hundred feet.

The maps are easy to use on your phone without any special software. Simply go to the topoBuilder app and select the area that you’d like mapped.

The service will email you a pdf file that can be downloaded. That way, they’ll even work offline in areas with no service.