Detailed local paper maps of the USA

[mark manley]

I am looking for a good local map similar to the Ordnance Survey Landranger or Explorer maps in the UK for San Luis Obispo county CA or general area, one that shows trails, footpaths and other rights of way, I am sure tourist maps are available but am looking for something with more detail, any suggestions?

[markharf]

Inquiries like this are more likely to draw useful responses if you say what sort of use you have in mind. Footpaths, for example, are really different from trails on which you can ride a bike, ride a motorcycle, or drive a four-wheeled vehicle. Also be aware that asking about local "rights of way" is likely to confuse, as will "green laning" "trekking," or other non-USA euphemisms; just ask about trails for walking/hiking if that's what you're after, or for off-road vehicle (ORV) use, or for mountain biking, or for whatever else as applicable. In the end you'll have to inquire locally anyway, noting that these are separate constituencies and often bitterly opposed to each other's interests.

I don't know anything about the British maps you reference, but as a fellow paper map user I have a few US suggestions which may meet your needs--or not. I find each of the following useful, but each also quite frustrating for their limitations.

The Atlas and Gazatteer series, now or formerly published by DeLorme.
The Road and Recreation Atlas series, n/f by Benchmark Maps.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) maps, in particular the 15 minute quadrangle series, [Beware: these are incredibly detailed but often painfully out of date].
The Trails Illustrated, now owned by the National Geographic.
The Green Trails series

Most people use online or similar maps these days. In my area, mountain bikers use the Trailforks app, but hikers might prefer Avenza, Maps.me, or Caltopo. In central California they may use apps I've never even heard of. I've found that paper resources are increasingly hard to find and dated, so I end up using apps to keep my paper maps updated.

Note that I know nothing whatsoever about the San Luis Obisbo area. Nonetheless, I hope that's helpful.

Mark

[mark manley]

Originally Posted by markharf

Inquiries like this are more likely to draw useful responses if you say what sort of use you have in mind. Footpaths, for example, are really different from trails on which you can ride a bike, ride a motorcycle, or drive a four-wheeled vehicle. Also be aware that asking about local "rights of way" is likely to confuse, as will "green laning" "trekking," or other non-USA euphemisms; just ask about trails for walking/hiking if that's what you're after, or for off-road vehicle (ORV) use, or for mountain biking, or for whatever else as applicable. In the end you'll have to inquire locally anyway, noting that these are separate constituencies and often bitterly opposed to each other's interests.

I don't know anything about the British maps you reference, but as a fellow paper map user I have a few US suggestions which may meet your needs--or not. I find each of the following useful, but each also quite frustrating for their limitations.

The Atlas and Gazatteer series, now or formerly published by DeLorme.
The Road and Recreation Atlas series, n/f by Benchmark Maps.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) maps, in particular the 15 minute quadrangle series, [Beware: these are incredibly detailed but often painfully out of date].
The Trails Illustrated, now owned by the National Geographic.
The Green Trails series

Most people use online or similar maps these days. In my area, mountain bikers use the Trailforks app, but hikers might prefer Avenza, Maps.me, or Caltopo. In central California they may use apps I've never even heard of. I've found that paper resources are increasingly hard to find and dated, so I end up using apps to keep my paper maps updated.

Note that I know nothing whatsoever about the San Luis Obisbo area. Nonetheless, I hope that's helpful.

Mark

Thanks Mark,

The UK maps I mentioned are 1-25,000 and 1-50,000 and have all roads, footpaths, bridleways which you can cycle on and lots more so are very detailed and are kept fairly up to date, our public rights of way stay pretty unchanged from one decade or even century to the next, I presumed there was a US equivalent but perhaps not. I am looking for bicycle trails and have found several websites but I do not use GPS or mobile phone and like a paper map so will check out those you mention.

[markharf]

Sadly, no. The close equivalent--USGS 7.5 minute, 1:24,000 "quad" maps--are often horrifyingly out of date. For example, one I use fairly often shows a pack trail instead of the major highway which supplanted it in the 1960s--this despite claims it was updated several times since by aerial photos and field checks.

I blame the privatization belief system, in which private profit is claimed to motivate superior performance in all realms--an obvious delusion. As our government has abdicated, businesses have in some cases moved in, but this only applies if you want to go where everyone else goes (and will pay for commercially-produced maps). In some areas other governmental agencies and non-governmental groups have stepped up, so there are often Forest Service maps, or maps produced by local interest groups like off-road riders, mountain bikers, hikers, or even local Chambers of Commerce.

In this specific case, my 10 second search shows city, county, and commercial websites dedicated to San Luis Obisbo bike routes and trails. In the absence of smartphone, I'd download and probably print off a few, since many won't even exist in paper form. I also see that something called Traillink looks much more useful than my accustomed Trailforks. I'd caution against relying on guidebooks unless truly desperate, since in my experience they either don't exist at all, or are so hopelessly out of date that they work much better as doorstops or boat anchors [<--joke].

Bike paths and trails are rapidly changing in many areas of this country. You'll probably want to distinguish between more relaxed bike paths--flat-ish, wide, smooth, graded paths of gravel or asphalt--and mountain bike trails. That's because these are somewhat separate constituencies, though both tend to be rapidly expanding. Cities and tourist agencies tend to stay up to date on bike paths; mountain bike organizations and shops on their trails. If interested in the latter, I'd suggest phoning (i.e., on an actual telephone) a local shop or two to ask what's available in print and website versions; if more the former, chances are pretty good that city or county websites will have what you're after. In either case, even online resources tend to lag ongoing improvements (and printed maps much more so), so definitely ask around once on the ground.

Edit to add: It's worth knowing that bike shops are all completely overwhelmed these days, and therefore sometimes difficult to engage--even when proposing to pay hundreds of dollars for repairs or parts, or thousands for new bikes. Stay patient.

I'm going to step back now so as not to crowd out anyone who might chime in with actual local knowledge--I live a couple of thousand km away and am seldom back in that area.

[backofbeyond]

I don't know California at all (only been there a couple of times) but over on the east coast which I know a little better I've never seen maps anything like UK OS or even the French IGN. The UK system of time immemorial foot/ horse paths that enable you to cross private land with the force of law behind you doesn't seem to exist in the US either. Leisure trails - yes, there's loads of those but the network is nothing like as extensive as we're used to here. When I've been looking for running routes over there Google maps has been as good as anything short of local knowledge.

[shu...]

For hiking I use-

https://caltopo.com/map.html#ll=38.8...6172&z=5&b=mbt

based on USGS 1/24,000 series topographic maps, with overlays from USForest, OSM, OpenCycleMap, and many more.

I can usually highlight my trail and print out my desired hiking area on a 8.5x11 sheet of paper at a reasonable scale. Of course you need access to a computer and a printer for this.

For backroads and 4 wheel drive tracks and trails, I like the state atlas by Delorme. My riding buddy doesn't like it and prefers the Benchmark series, which I find to be more difficult to read.

................shu

[mark manley]

Originally Posted by shu...

For hiking I use-

https://caltopo.com/map.html#ll=38.8...6172&z=5&b=mbt

based on USGS 1/24,000 series topographic maps, with overlays from USForest, OSM, OpenCycleMap, and many more.

I can usually highlight my trail and print out my desired hiking area on a 8.5x11 sheet of paper at a reasonable scale. Of course you need access to a computer and a printer for this.

For backroads and 4 wheel drive tracks and trails, I like the state atlas by Delorme. My riding buddy doesn't like it and prefers the Benchmark series, which I find to be more difficult to read.

................shu

That looks pretty useful, thank you.

[JMo (& piglet)]

Hi Mark - as Markharf suggests, there are a number of resources, but nothing like as detailed as the British OS series unfortunately...

However, if it's recreation [paper]* maps you're after, then the National Geographic series of Trails Illustrated covers most of the popular recreation areas (and typically clearly defines hiking only vs. wheeled/motorised use too), and if you look on their website there is a map (#813) which covers the San Luis Obispo area:

https://www.natgeomaps.com/trail-map...aps/california

...which might be worth a punt? *note also that if you have the Gaia app, you can buy the National Geographic Trails Illustrated map layer for the whole of the US should you wish.

For general route planning, I'd also recommend the Benchmark Series of state-by-state Atlases... they don't cover the whole country, but they do cover pretty much everything out west, which is what most people want anyway ;o)

They have a huge amount of detail - which is also very accurate to what is on the ground I've found - including lots of tiny thread 'trails' which may or may not be suitable for vehicles - although pretty much any unpaved road/trail you'd ever want to ride a bike on is clearly marked. Perfect for overland route-planning!

Hope that helps...

Jenny x