TOPO! Maps for ArcGIS Users

Over the years we've found many GIS users like having topographic maps as a base layer for their projects. We created a product based on our TOPO! software that lets ArcGIS users easily add our high-resolution, color-corrected scans of USGS topographic maps, along with hillshade and DEMs.

TOPO! Pro for ArcGIS is available along with an individual state's data, or you can buy a dataset for the entire US on a USB drive.

It supports KML export for ArcGIS Explorer or Google Earth.

Please ask about our ESRI Conference special, good through August.

We also introduced TOPO! USA Cache for ArcGIS Server for those needing an enterprise solution.



For more information, please call David Wright at 800-962-1643 x 108

1,033,801 miles of trails!

Now you'll find more than a million miles of trails, along with detailed USGS topographic maps and 4-meter resolution aerial imagery, at topo.com.

Sign up for a free account and join our community!

Been thinking about buying TOPO! state series?

Now's a good time thanks to the REI Anniversary sale thru May 11.

I was doing demos at a local REI store today, and realized some folks under 30 aren't as familiar with USGS topographic maps as are most of us older types. Simply put, they are the most detailed map set for the United States. We scanned all 55,000 sheets, seamed them together, and sell them in state sets to load on your PC or Mac. You can customize the maps by adding your own trails, text and symbols and importing tracks and waypoints from your GPS.

There is so much information on USGS topos that will never appear on computer-generated maps. That's why we went to the trouble to make the best scans of those maps, so when you print them out at home they look as good as the originals. Perhaps even better with our added shaded relief. Even if you use a GPS in the field, the experts tell you to take a printed map. It won't break or run out of power, and it gives you a better perspective on where you're going than a 4 inch screen.

We're about to make those maps even better, with our National Recreation Database at topo.com. You can preview it in beta today, and it launches in less than a month. There will be many thousands of miles of trails to download and add to your maps (170,000+ miles as of today), along with Forest Service roads, public land boundaries, recreational points of interest and much more. All free additions to your TOPO! maps.

TOPO! Explorer Public Beta is Live :: What to Expect and What's Next

Last night at midnight - the switch was thrown and National Geographic's national recreation database was born. As of 10:00am this morning we've loaded over 37,000 miles of trail and witnessed dozens sign up for their free accounts. To get everyone up-to-speed on what you can do today and what to expect over the next month we've created this brief article.

Welcome to TOPO! Explorer :: What to Expect

Until May 30th, we are in beta. Which means that not all planned functionality is live, yet.. However, by logging in today you can:

* Register for your free user account, and create your member profile.
* Explore our nationwide map images including our new Hybrid layer.
* Browse Trip Files, plus post reviews, comments, and trip reports.
* Visit the forums and connect with other outdoor enthusiasts.
* Apply to become a beta tester and help us refine future features

What's Next?

Over the next month we will be releasing new features almost daily, posting tons of content, building out how-tos, and come May 30th providing you an entirely new way to get maps.

Our goal is to build ::the:: portal for outdoor enthusiasts to find, share, and discuss where to go. We hope that by making it easy find recreation opportunities that it encourages more people to get outdoors.

We're doing things a bit different with TOPO! Explorer. First of all, we're making it free. You don't need a subscription to browse the maps or find recreational information nor do you need to buy a software application to later post your own files, connect to a GPS, or create mashups. Instead we've enabled all functions to take place either freely on the website itself, or through the forthcoming TOPO! Explorer application which will be available for free download on June 2nd.

So how does National Geographic generate revenue? ... We sell maps and by the end of May, users will have several options to purchase maps based upon their needs:

1. Purchase TOPO! State Series Products. If you are an avid outdoor enthusiast that recreates throughout your State, there is no better value than picking up a complete State of detailed topographic maps. In most cases you will get 1000's of real USGS quads for approximately $100. Used in conjunction with the new free TOPO! Explorer website and application you have access to updated trails, roads, recreational points of interest - plus you can print, export to GPS, and share your own creations.

2. Purchase Weekend Explorer Products. If you mainly recreate around your local metro area, Weekend Explorer is the right package for you. It contains hundreds of USGS quads for approximately $30. Just like State Series, when used in conjunction with the TOPO! Explorer application you get access to the detailed topos, plus all the rich recreation content from the web community.

3. Purchase TOPO! Explorer or Explorer Deluxe Retail Packs. Coming May 30th to retail stores, is TOPO! Explorer and Explorer Deluxe. Unlike any other map product - these two boxes give you the flexibility to pick-and-choose the exact maps ala cart. Both kits contain (25) map download credits, which can be used on the TOPO! Explorer website to get the specific topographic maps and aerial imagery you need. This is ideal for someone who recreates occasionally, or recreates throughout the country and needs flexibility. It's also appealing to existing TOPO! State Series and Weekend Explorer users that want to add a few maps outside of their current map sets. TOPO! Explorer sells for $24.95 and the Deluxe Edition (which contains intermediate detail USGS 1:100,000 scale maps for entire United States + 25 map credits) sells for $49.95.

For those that feel lucky, be sure to purchase TOPO! Explorer or Explorer Deluxe from your favorite retailer during the month of June, as one out of ten retail kits sold will activate double the map credits!

So don't hesitate - visit beta.topo.com today and sign up for your free account. Roll up those sleeves and help make this outdoor community great. Check back to Contours next Wednesday for an update on new TOPO! Explorer features and useful tips!

Navigating in New England

Jeff Caulfield of NatGeoMaps brings his Navigating with Maps & GPS clinics to outdoor stores in New England. Clinics are at 7 p.m. Admission is free. Attendees will receive a disk with Map & GPS Skills and other useful information.

Monday, April 14 - REI West Hartford, CT
Tuesday, April 15 - REI Cranston, RI
Wednesday, April 16 - REI Boston, MA
Thursday, April 17 - REI Framingham, MA
Friday, April 18 - EMS Nashua, NH (club card day)



Jeff will show you, step-by-step, how to use a GPS with a map to plan your next day hike or backcountry adventure. He'll discuss the features of different GPS models, and give you tips on how to use these features in the navigation process.

San Diego, CA - Sandy, UT Events

Join National Geographic's Jeff Caulfield for these upcoming navigation events:

Navigating with National Geographic - Thursday, 7 p.m. at REI San Diego

GPS Navigation Day - Saturday, April 12, 9 a.m. at REI Sandy (registration required)

Nat Geo Maps at SHOT Show

We wrapped up our exhibit at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas Tuesday. SHOT stands for Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade. Some people were surprised to find us there. But our TOPO! software is perfect for hunters as they need the most detailed maps possible. And as a conservation organization, National Geographic understands the role hunting plays in conserving species and habitats.

This year, we gave away copies of the November issue of our magazine with the article Hunters: For Love of the Land.

For the second week in a row we introduced our forthcoming TOPO! Explorer web site and application to the trade and press. Of particular interest here was our "hybrid quad" which combines contours and other line work from USGS topographic maps with high-resolution aerial photography. It's often difficult to view an aerial photo and know what you're looking at. The hybrid solves that problem.

It's been an exciting couple of weeks. If you'd like to know more about TOPO! Explorer, go to topo.com and sign up for our mailing list.

Nat Geo Maps at Denver Sportsmen's Expo

The International Sportsmen's Exposition is open in Denver and runs through Sunday afternoon.

Come by our booth to see Trails Illustrated maps covering most of Colorado's great recreation areas, demos of TOPO! digital maps, and more!

The show is at the Convention Center in Denver. Details here.

Nat Geo Maps to Launch National Trails Database

We're putting the final touches on an exciting new Web site and application that will help outdoor enthusiasts locate accurate trail and recreation information nationwide.

TOPO!® Explorer, launching in May, will present users with detailed topographic maps, aerial photography, a hybrid map made from the two, and an extensive, freely browsable, online database of trail descriptions, recommendations and unique points of interest.


At launch, the TOPO! Explorer Web site (topo.com), will contain between 7,500 and 10,000 unique files provided by government agencies, regional trail and access clubs, publishing partners and National Geographic. Users will be encouraged to review posted trip files and share their own files using an integrated publish-to-site feature as a component of a larger social-networking portion of TOPO! Explorer.

Current users of National Geographic's TOPO! map software will find many of the features in TOPO! Explorer familiar, including GPS connectivity, custom map-making tools and printing.

Innovations include support for video and higher-resolution photography, seamless 3-D panning, a powerful Web-based place finder, a sleek new interface and an entirely new database of detailed maps and aerial photographs known as SuperQuads™.

Each SuperQuad is comprised of seven layers, including genuine USGS 1:24,000-, 1,100:000- and 1:500,000- scale topographic maps, i-cubed aerial photography, Tele Atlas roads, geographic names and elevation models, and a new HybridQuad™ that combines aerial photography and topographic line work. SuperQuads can be freely browsed on the Web and will be available for purchase via download for $1.00 each.

Two new retail packages, TOPO! Explorer ($24.95) and TOPO! Explorer Deluxe ($49.95), will be available concurrent to the launch of the Web site this May. Both packages contain the software application that is Mac- and PC-compatible, and 25 map download credits. The Deluxe edition also will include a nationwide set of genuine USGS 1:100,000-scale topographic maps, ideal for planning trips and browsing terrain.

Publishers, trail groups and agencies interested in posting outdoor information to the TOPO! Explorer community and retailers interested in carrying TOPO! Explorer can contact us using the email address at the top of the sidebar.

Nat Geo Maps at Sacramento Sportsmen's Expo

The International Sportsmen's Expo in Sacramento opens tonight and National Geographic Maps will be there!

You can see demos of our TOPO! software, see how it works with GPS handhelds including the new Magellan Triton units and learn the latest about our forthcoming Trails Illustrated maps of northern California public lands.

Kevin Lance and Jeff Bell - Tech Support/Customer Service - at ISE Sacramento
So come to ISE Sacramento at CalExpo tonight through Sunday and see the best maps for sportsmen!

Outdoor recreation maps - great things on tap

We're cooking up some great things for outdoor recreation map users this year.

mapXchange, our site for downloading trail and other map overlays to use with TOPO! will enjoy a major upgrade this spring.

Look for an announcement about this and other TOPO! news January 22nd.


Trails Illustrated will continue its march across northern California this year with great new maps.

And based on the success of National Parks Explorer 3D, Southern Appalachian Mountains Explorer 3D and Adirondack Park Explorer 3D, we're also working to make more TI maps available digitally.

New Triton Tech Info is Live

New instructions for using TOPO! with Magellan Triton is now live at topo-triton.com along with details on how to contact us for support.

I hope you find a Triton + TOPO! under your tree!

Idiot Proof?

A member of our sales team called today and I mentioned I was in the midst of testing updated instructions on transferring TOPO! maps to Triton, having unboxed a 1500 unit.

He asked, "So you want to see if it's idiot proof?" I didn't take umbrage. He knows I'm not exactly a GPS power user.

The good news is the directions worked easily. We're just fine tuning them and some additional tips and will have them on the web in a day.

Since this was my first time handling a Triton I'll say I liked the feel of it, loved the screen, especially the touchscreen operation. And the TOPO! maps I transferred looked great.

Meanwhile, Magellan informs us that the flood gates have opened and many more Tritons will soon be washing into stores near you.

Question about Magellan Triton Delays

A Contours reader writes:

What is your view on the matter of the non-availability of a GPS-device (Magellan Triton) which is praised on your own web-page?

While we are not happy that the release has been delayed, more models are shipping to more stores each week. This is a new line that will be a standard for some years and so we view the delay as a short term disappointment.

While our relationship with Magellan is not exclusive, we are working closely with them and promoting the Triton line because they are the first company to do what thousands of our users and dealers have been asking GPS manufacturers to do for years: Allow them to transfer TOPO! maps to their handhelds.

Where to buy Triton GPS

Last month we let you know the exciting news about a new line of GPS handhelds that will be the first to support tranfer of TOPO! maps to view and track on-screen.

Magellan's Triton units have begun shipping. A report on where to find them appears here today.

Triton GPS Units are shipping

The long-awaited Triton line of handheld GPS units from Magellan have begun shipping. Not all models are in stores yet but we know some have arrived as we've heard from people who have bought them and are beginning to upload our TOPO! maps to their units.

Check out topo-triton.com for more details, links to a how-to and free upgrade for Triton users.

Watch a video about the top-of-the-line (not in stores quite yet) Triton 2000.

NGS Sponsors New Mountaineering Museum

National Geographic is a sponsor of the Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum, which will open in Golden, Colorado next February.

Through historical artifacts, visual and tactile experiences, and multimedia exhibits, the museum will inspire and educate the visitor about mountaineering, how and why mountaineers climb, and the mountains themselves. Portions of the exhibit will be devoted to international themes such as mountain cultures and sacred mountains, regional themes like Colorado's climbing history and the 10th Mountain Division, and global concepts like conservation and safety in mountain environments. The museum will also serve to honor the accomplishments of both its namesake, Bradford Washburn, and the many American mountaineers who followed in his pioneering footsteps.

Brad Washburn was not only a mountaineer and explorer, but a great cartographer. Washburn was project director for our topographic map of Mt. Everest (pictured below) and announced the revised elevation of Everest measured by an expedition co-sponsored by the Society in 1999.


The museum's gift shop will open November 23rd, so if you're in the Denver area consider stopping by. You'll find some of our map products for sale there.

Washburn was perhaps best known for his exploration of Alaska:

New Trails Illustrated Title: New River Blueway

National Geographic Maps is pleased to announce our newest Trails Illustrated title, but with a twist.

This title has a "Geotourism Feature" that not only highlights recreational amenities, but also the region's cultural and physical features of select areas of North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia, with a focus on the New River, an EPA designated American Heritage River.

Whether you're planning a float trip or visiting the many protected parks and natural areas, this map can serve as an excellent trip-planning tool and cultural resource.

Dominican Republic adventures

The Dominican Republic is a popular resort destination, but its reputation for outdoor recreation is rapidly growing.

A variety of adventure sports opportunities are available, including hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, river rafting, four-wheeling, diving, surfing and paragliding.

And now, we present the map that will guide you to your Dominican adventure.






The new Dominican Republic Adventure Map is hot off the presses and will be coming to a map, book or outdoor store near you in the coming weeks.

Real TOPO Maps on a GPS

Our friends at Magellan are introducing an exciting new line of handheld GPS receivers called Triton that will be hitting stores in the next few weeks.

We're particularly thrilled about this line because it will be the first GPS line offering users the ability to view authentic USGS topographic maps using our TOPO!® software.

Until now, topographic maps available for use on GPS units from major manufacturers have been simplified vector maps that do not have the richness of detail and image quality offered by our enhanced scans of USGS quads.

Watch this page for more information. We'll soon post a free TOPO! upgrade to enable use with Triton.