Topographic Base Maps
Topographic Maps, also known as Topo Maps, are one of the three map styles you can choose from for your custom map in MapSherpa. Topographic Maps portray landscapes and features within rural and natural settings that assist with orientation, navigation and planning.
When would you select a Topographic base layer?
Topographic maps are useful for many purposes of which a few are outlined here.
Maps in the Field
A custom Topographic Map provides all of the critical information you need about the area around you in a clear manner. Contour lines allow you to get a sense of the steepness of terrain, and location of major landscape features. Detailed water information, identification of forested areas, roads, railroad tracks, trails, hydro lines, and distinct landmarks all help in finding your bearings and getting you to where you want to go as quickly as possible.
For many situations, use of a topographic map in conjunction with a terrain map of the same area can give the map reader a clearer picture of the area around them:
- Get an immediate connection between map and landscape through the terrain map
- Complement this with clear representation of local features on the topo map
Planning Outdoor Adventures
When planning outdoor trips, you need to see all the relevant natural and human characteristics in order to make the best decision possible. Some examples of where topographic maps can be so important:
- A hunter is looking for a specific combination of open meadow, swampy water, and sufficient distance away from road networks to find his prey
- A hiker is looking for challenging grade of assent in forested areas with a chance for a scenic panoramic view at the top of his climb
- A camper is looking for a site near water and with a mountain view with potential for a beautiful sunset, but within a limited distance of roads or other human infrastructure in case of emergency
All of these scenarios can be planned with the use of topographic maps.
About MapSherpa Topographic Maps
Topographic maps combine representation of the earth’s surface in two dimensions through the use of contour lines with detailed human and natural features. Generally the density of human features is much less outside of urban areas, so more detailed human features can be included such as buildings, trails, hydro lines, boat launches, etc..
Contour lines are a key feature of our topographic maps. They connect a series of points of equal elevation giving you an idea of elevation in a particular area. The proximity of contour lines equates to the steepness of the terrain. For example, several contour lines close to one another suggest steep slopes while those well separated indicate a gentler slope.
Most topographic maps show road geometries but very little additional information and are frequently dated. However MapSherpa combines highly detailed street information from our NAVTEQ data partner with our topographic data so that where it is important, you will have access to this information even if your primary focus is on the topography.
To help you locate your position accurately on the map based on your position on the planet, our topographic maps provide information based on two kinds of referencing systems:
- Map Centre is provided in Geographic: degrees, minutes and seconds (latitude/longitude)
- Map Grid is provided in Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM)
MapSherpa’s topographic maps display a prominent UTM grid with geographic reference points. This, combined with the scalebar provided on your MapSherpa map, allow you to quickly measure distances and plan routes. If you use a GPS, this information can be used to reference your GPS output to the map.
Note: We are aware that the contours on MapSherpa topographic maps have a mix of imperial and metric measurements. This is an artifact of topographic maps produced as distinct sheets. We are working to standardize this as the raw base map data is updated.
